


Situationship

by bostghuster



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Angst, F/M, Female Reader, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Smut, Strangers to Lovers, Time Skips, back on my self indulgent bullshit, eventually, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 16:15:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 28,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29371443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bostghuster/pseuds/bostghuster
Summary: Life is hard, but feelings are harder.AKA you meet Piers 4 times over the years and each time leaves you wanting more
Relationships: Nezu | Piers (Pokemon)/Reader
Comments: 19
Kudos: 72





	1. At First Sight

You remembered the first time you met him like it was yesterday.

You were barely 17, and it was the birthday of one of your friends. They had decided to go to Hammerlocke to attend a small concert being held at an old pub in the heart of Historic Downtown, where a number of local musicians would be playing all night. You didn’t catch the name of the artist that they were most excited to see, knowing only that he was an older student from your school that all your friends had crushes on, but you were too busy fussing over the outfit they’d all picked out for you to really pay attention. The tight top and the short pleather skirt were more revealing than what you were used to, but your friends had urged you to break out of your comfort zone.

“We’re going to a _bar_ ,” they had said, “you might as well look the part. Just dress up with us!”

And so, you had.

The Flying Taxi cab landed with a gentle _thud_ , causing your little group of friends to cheer. You merely smiled as they all started to titter like Rookidees, excited of what the evening would hold.

You followed them out of the Taxi, the last to leave and the only one to stick around to tip the giant Corviknight for all its hard work. You patted its feathers as it plucked the Oran Berry from your palm with gratitude, and the pilot shot you a smile. He opened his mouth to say something, but you missed his words when your name was shrilly called.

“Let’s go!” One of your friends waved you over, “We’re gonna miss the show!”

You waved to acknowledge her words, and turned to shoot the pilot an apologetic smile before turning to follow your group.

To be perfectly honest, this was not at all your idea of a fun birthday night out. Especially when you considered the fact that you and your friends were all still technically underaged, going to a bar where skeezy older men could easily take advantage of your group made you more than a little nervous.

But you didn’t have time to voice your doubts when your fake ID was forced into one hand, and lip gloss into the other.

“You need this,” your one friend sniffed, “Trust me.”

You took it obediently, but didn’t apply it to your lips. Tucking it instead into your little bag, you sighed as you followed your excited friends to the trolley that would take you Downtown.

It only took a few minutes before your little group was gathered outside of a busy pub; the loud bass already noticeable from the street. Your friends filed in through the door, flashing their fake IDs at the bouncer who merely nodded as they passed. You swallowed, mimicking their confident movements. Luckily, the bouncer nodded for you as well, and you released the breath you didn’t realize you were holding when you rejoined your friends in the dark foyer.

“Let’s go find our spot by the stage,” one of the girls was saying, “so we can be right there when Tristan performs!”

The others all squealed, turning to enter the large room where spotlights were flashing and the beat was thumping so loud you could feel it in your ribcage. You couldn’t help but gape a bit at the packed room as you followed behind them, barstools and tables filled alike with patrons enjoying their drinks with the night’s entertainment.

The current act – a small band of four members and a Rillaboom on the drums – was just wrapping up their set, bowing and waving to the enthusiastic applause.

A hand grabbed your wrist. You jolted, turning to see one of your friends give your arm another quick tug. You’d almost walked right passed the small table by the stage with the small tag reading _reserved._ Your friend rolled her eyes at you, but released your arm as you pulled the last remaining chair from under the table and sat, careful to keep your skirt at a decent length.

You sighed inwardly as you realized that your seat – the last remaining seat at the rounded table – was unfortunately the only chair not facing the stage. Your jaw clenched as your friends chatted excitedly about the show they were about to see, apparently not noticing how you had to awkwardly shift your chair to half-face the stage.

 _But it’s fine,_ you tried to convince yourself. _After all, it’s not like it’s my birthday. It’s not about me._

Your friends suddenly fell silent as a shorter, stocky woman walked across the stage, microphone in hand and a big smile on her dark purple lips.

“Let’s hear it once more for Rilla and the Booms!” the woman said into her microphone, brandishing her arm in a wide sweeping motion.

Loud applause and a few whistles sounded out from the audience. You politely clapped your hands a few times, but paused when you saw the disinterested look on your friends faces.

“Excellent, excellent,” the woman beamed from the stage, “My, what a turn-out we have here tonight!”

More cheers sounded out, causing the woman to laugh.

“Oh, hush up,” she said, making some people in the crowd chuckle.

You couldn’t help but smile along. The woman must work here at the bar for people to treat her with such familiarity.

“Now I know the next group doesn’t need an introduction—” the woman was suddenly interrupted by loud cheers and shouts from a group near the center of the pub. You looked over to see a group of older teenagers and young adults, adorned with leather jackets and vests with various rips and studs and a wide variety of coloured spiky hair, standing and hollering with great enthusiasm.

You smiled, but froze when you heard one of your friends make a loud _tsk_. You glanced over at your tablemates, noticing how their noses were scrunched up and one made an audible “Ugh.”

The woman merely grinned, pointing at the enthusiastic group of people before carrying on.

“Let’s give a warm welcome to our next group,” she motioned beside her, waving whoever was offstage to come out and join her, “Ladies and gents, Night Slash!”

The spiky group of people were beside themselves, screaming and shouting as the woman exited the stage to make way for the entering group.

You clapped again when you heard your friends’ voices.

“It’s not Tristan,” one groaned.

“Let’s just go try and bum some drinks off of someone while we wait,” another said, to affirming mumbles and nods.

You were about to turn to say something when one of your friends sternly said your name.

“Stay here and make sure no one steals our spot,” the birthday girl ordered before standing and turning to weave her way to the bar, followed by your other friends.

You blinked, suddenly alone at the rounded table. A lump formed in your throat as you looked down at your hands, but a voice suddenly distracted you from your woes.

“How’s it goin’ t’night, Hammerlocke?”

Loud cheers sounded out in response to the voice, who’s accent made your ears perk up. You looked up at the stage as the voice chuckled.

“Yer gonna have to speak up, I can barely hear ya over this obnoxious lot in the front.”

Loud jeers and laughs from the large group of spiked teenagers surrounded you, but you were too busy watching the voice’s owner in the center of the stage.

It belonged to a boy who looked to be no older than you. His tied-back hair reached down to his shoulders, with a heavy clump of fringe covering half his face, black with a striking stripe of white. His skin was ghostly pale in the bright spotlights shining around him, but you were drawn to his eyes. They were an icy blue, and seemed to glow with excitement in the darkness of the pub. You couldn’t help but notice how tall he was, too, despite not looking much older than 18, and how his well-worn leather jacket hung loosely around his form revealed how scrawny he really was.

The boy nodded to one of his black-clad bandmates, who started a heavy riff on his electric guitar. The drummer behind them picked up on the song, hitting her drums with enough force to make you blink with each strike.

And then the boy began to sing.

And you were immediately blown away.

Despite his thin frame, the boy’s voice was strong. A little raspy, and higher than anticipated, but you felt like you would blow over with the amount of power he was belting out.

“ _Harsh words may sting like a knife,”_ he sang, _“But it don’t mean much comin’ from you.”_

You tilted your head, unable to keep yourself from smiling as you listened and watched. You’d never listened to this genre of music before, and it was leagues different from the usual boy-band bubblegum-pop you and your friends listened to. This was heavier, was more intense. It was more real than anything you’d heard before.

You couldn’t believe what you were thinking, but you loved every second of it.

The boy singing drew a breath and started to belt out the chorus, the drummer adding hers to the boy’s in harmony.

_“I’m not one to say I’m sorry, ‘specially for somethin’ I never did~”_

If you were being completely honest with yourself, you weren’t really paying attention to the words anymore – you were too busy watching the singer perform. The way he carried himself now, strutting across the stage and throwing his fists into the air was worlds different from when he first appeared on stage, with his hunched shoulders and small smile. He was fascinating to watch.

And it didn’t help that you could see how cute he was from this close to the stage, either.

As the last note of the chorus faded, the boy suddenly jumped in place, kicking the mic stand in front of him and whirling it around his body, stamping his boots into the stage as the stand landed back in front of him with a loud noise. 

“Yeah! Love ya, Piers!” a female voice shouted out from the cluster of fans in the center of the room, with cheers from her posse making the boy smile even wider.

 _Piers,_ you thought as you looked back to the stage, _that must be his name._

Soon, the song drew to a close. You applauded with the rest, unable to make your claps heard over the whistles and screams coming from Night Slash’s apparent fan club. Their adrenaline was infectious, and you couldn’t stop yourself from letting out a little cheer of your own. 

The singer – Piers – looked over in your direction with mild surprise on his face.

You froze. _I -I guess he’s not used to people other than the usual group responding this enthusiastically,_ you thought.

You flushed when Piers’ eyes made contact with yours, but after a moment his face burst into a genuine smile. He nodded at you, his blue eyes practically sparkling.

Your heart pounded in your chest. He looked right at you! He smiled at _you!_

Despite yourself, you gave an excited little kick and giggled as Piers faced out towards the rest of the audience once more.

“This next one goes out to whoever needs to hear this tonight,” he said, his face suddenly serious.

You adjusted your position, determined to give him your full attention.

This song was a lot slower than the first, sounding solemn and heartfelt compared to the fiery intensity of the previous number.

 _“How long before her wings give out?”_ Piers sang, _“How long before her bones become glass? You keep the cage locked up tight, not wanting to set her free.”_

Your eyes grew wide as he sang.

_“You can’t see the pain she shoulders each day, knowing that she can’t be who she’s meant to be.”_

Your breath hitched when Piers turned to make eye contact with you once more.

 _“Break down the bars,”_ he sang to you, _“Take flight, it’s your own destiny~”_

You gave him a small smile before he turned away again, but you were close enough to tell that, despite the somber tone of the music, Piers’ mouth was curled in a faint smile as if in response.

Suddenly the table jerked behind you. Startled, you caught yourself before you toppled out of your chair and whirled around. You friends were back, drinks in hand. One was in the middle of rolling her eyes.

“Ugh, scene music,” she groaned, “I can’t deal with this emo shit.”

Your friends nodded, a couple snickering.

You frowned. “I kinda like it, actually,” you said, not averting your gaze as your friends all looked up at you as if you grew a second head, “I think it’s really meaningful.”

Your friends didn’t say anything for a moment, but then one scoffed.

“You would,” was all she said. The others laughed in response.

You lifted your eyebrows, sighing as you turned back around to watch the rest of Piers and his band perform.

But to your dismay, they were finished their song, and were waving to the crowd of polite applause and cheering supporters as they made their way offstage. Piers waved to the enthusiastic crowd, pausing to shoot you one last gentle smile before he disappeared behind the wall.

You could almost feel your heart fall to your feet when you glanced to the right, noticing the hallway to the bathrooms. It looked as though the way on and off the stage could be in that hallway…

You suddenly rose to your feet, announcing that you had to run to the washroom. You didn’t stop to hear your friends’ responses before you were walking briskly towards the hallway. You didn’t know why you were so hellbent on trying to see that boy one last time, but some unknown force seemed to be pulling you forward. You felt like you had to at least say something to him before you never saw him again. You clenched your jaw as you turned the corner. Hopefully it wasn’t too late—

You ran into something with a soft “Oof!”. You shot your hands out to stabilize yourself, only to pause when you realized that they landed on something warm.

You blinked and leaned back to see what you’d run into, only for your eyes to meet with a pair of shining, icy blue. You froze.

It was him.

“Oh!” Piers exclaimed, you running into him taking him by surprise, “Hi.”

“H-hi,” you said, your voice barely over a whisper.

Suddenly you realized that your hands still rested on Piers’ chest from when you literally ran into him. You jumped back, flushing as you pulled your hands away. You laughed nervously, fiddling with the hem of your skirt.

“Sorry.”

“’s alright,” Piers said with a reassuring smile, “I haven’t seen you around here before. First time?”

You nodded. Piers was taller than you’d realized, and kind of gangly, like he just had a growth spurt and still hadn’t adjusted to his longer limbs. But despite the dim lighting in this hallway, you noticed that he was even cuter up close.

Swallowing, you summoned the last bit of courage your rush of concert-driven adrenaline gave to speak clearly.

“Yeah,” you replied, smiling, “I’m here with some friends for a birthday.”

A shadow fell over Piers face.

“Ah, those rude girls you were sittin’ with,” he said bluntly, brushing his bangs out of his eye.

You opened your mouth to protest, but no words came out. You instead gave a feeble shrug.

“We’re here to see someone from our school perform,” you told the taller boy, “But I’m glad we got here early enough to see you sing. You’re really talented.”

Piers tilted his head. “Yeah?” he said, giving you a shy sort of smile, “Thanks.”

“I mean it,” you said, a blush creeping up your cheeks again, “I loved your performance.”

Piers beamed. His eyes seemed to sparkle once more.

He opened his mouth to say something, but a sudden burst of screams erupted from the main room.

“Guess the next act is up,” he muttered instead, looking up past you, “I should probably get goin’.”

You swallowed. You tilted your head in apology.

“Right. I’m sorry for keeping you, I just—” you looked up at him once more, a glimmer of hope in your eyes, “I really wanted to let you know how much I liked watching you sing.”

Piers blinked, a smile creeping into his sullen features. He looked at you with calm eyes, and you found yourself rooted to the spot. You couldn’t believe how much this boy was affecting your train of thought. It was like even off the stage, every move he made was to command your attention.

“What’s your name?” he asked you, his voice low.

You opened your mouth to respond, but a different voice called your name before your voice could form in your throat.

“What are you doing back here?!” one of your friends cried as she leaned around the corner, “Tristian’s on the stage, he’s about to sing!”

You turned to her with a sharp look in your eyes. You waved at her in assurance before turning around to say goodbye to Piers.

His face was like a mask as he looked over you at your friend standing impatiently by the door, but you could see that his eyes too flashed with annoyance in the dim light.

“Sorry,” you mumbled, already taking a step back, “I should get going—”

But then Piers mumbled your name, making you pause.

“That’s yer name, yeah?” he asked you, bringing his attention back to you. “(Y/N)?”

“Y-yes,” you stammered.

Piers stuck his hand out.

“Piers.” He said simply.

You smiled as you took his hand and gave it a small shake.

“I know,” you said, but your breath hitched when Piers looked at you funny, “I-I mean, I heard someone yell your name during the show and kinda figured it was your name.”

Piers paused before chuckling.

“Makes sense.”

You let out a small giggle, but it was cut short by your friend’s sharp voice.

“Hello? (Y/N)? Let’s _go_.”

You closed your eyes and sighed.

“It was really nice to meet you, Piers,” you said as you began to turn away, shooting him one last sad smile.

Piers nodded; his expression unreadable as you turned to follow your friend back to the main hall. But you paused when he suddenly blurted out your name once more. Surprised, you turned once more to find him pulling off his leather jacket and holding it out to you. You didn’t know what to do with this offering until he spoke, his cheeks tinted pink.

“It’s kinda cold out there,” he said bluntly, avoiding your eyes as he nudged the jacket into your arms.

“I—” You were sure your cheeks were just as pink as his as you held the still-warm leather in your hands, “I can’t take this, I don’t know when I’ll see you again to return it to you!”

Piers shrugged his narrow shoulders, already walking backwards away from you.

“You can keep it; I’ve got plenty more like it. Trust me.”

You kept stammering, stopping only when he smiled at you. His eyes glittered like gemstones once more in the darkness before he turned the corner and was gone.

You stood in place for a few moments, stunned at what had just happened. Loud cheers and shouts snapped you out of your trance and brought you back to reality. You clutched the jacket to your chest, unable to keep yourself from giving the leather a tiny sniff.

It smelled musky, like a boy who wore cologne that was intended for someone much older than him.

It smelled like Piers.

You swung the jacket around your shoulders, beaming as you reentered the main hall and ignored the looks your friends were giving you. You felt like one of the punks that were in the middle of the room, filled with courage and zeal.

You felt like you were invincible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have any internet at home, so how better to spend my time than to keep the Piers/Reader tag alive, am I right?
> 
> Hopefully I can steal away to my in-laws to upload more chapters soon, but enjoy the awkward teenage tooth-rotting sweetness for now!
> 
> Also apologies for my terrible summaries - I know they hardly ever make sense.


	2. At Rock Bottom

The second time you met him was under a lot less happy circumstance.

The sun was setting, sending long shadows down the cobblestone street where you walked briskly. You paid no mind to the early summer weather, for more pressing matters were on your mind.

Teardrops stained the mottled stones behind you as you tried not to recount the unbelievably horrible day you’ve been having. It all started when you got to work, only to find out that due to a shortage on funding, your company had made the executive decision to cut your entire department. It was only a handful of people, but now that handful was jobless. Including you.

In a state of shock and anxiety, you didn’t want to go home to your small studio apartment, electing instead to go to your boyfriend’s flat. It was only around the block from your now-previous place of employment, so you usually ended up there after work anyways.

In your troubled state, you didn’t notice that the front door was left unlocked.

What you did notice, though, was the fact that your boyfriend was on the couch shirtless.

Leaning over something.

No.

Some _one._

You froze, but he didn’t look up. You heard the giggles and moaning from underneath him and it was enough to send you reeling. You recognized that voice.

It was your best friend.

Or, rather, it _was_ your best friend.

Stunned, you backed slowly out of the room and shut the door, not knowing if it was good that they didn’t notice you or not.

So now, here you were. Your entire world seemed to be crashing down around you. You didn’t want to cry about it, but you couldn’t stop the tears from dripping off the tip of your nose as you walked, not knowing where you could go. You couldn’t go back to your own flat, there were too many memories there, Memories of someone who only 24 hours ago seemed to have her life together.

And so, you kept walking.

The sun had long set before you stopped. You sniffled and wiped your eyes before you looked up. You were surprised to see that you were standing in front of the pub you had snuck into with your now ex-friends over 3 years ago.

Soft memories of a boy with an incredible voice and sparkling blue eyes rose to mind, and you reached up and gently stroked the collar of the well-worn leather jacket you were wearing. It had become one of your favorite things to wear, due to how comfortable it was and how it made you think of the sweet, shy boy who had given it to you.

Figuring that, due to current events, you could use a few stiff drinks to take the edge off. You gave your cheeks a quick wipe before entering the old brick building. It wasn’t as busy as it was the last time you were here: a few patrons were at the bar, and a couple tables were filled with guests enjoying each other’s company, and only one young woman was on the darkened stage, playing an acoustic guitar and singing soulfully.

You sat yourself on a barstool, carefully swinging your legs around it. You leaned forward, resting your elbows on the polished wood counter.

There was only one bartender on duty tonight. He approached you, giving you a friendly smile.

“Anything I can get for you?” he asked.

You gave a humorless chuckle.

“Maybe a restart button,” you said sadly, wiping your cheeks once more, “Or a time machine, if you’ve got one lying around.”

The bartender’s eyebrows furrowed, and his expression changed to a sympathetic one.

“That bad of a day, huh?”

You exhaled. “You don’t know the half of it,” you muttered, resting your head on your forearms.

The bartender tapped the counter in thought before he spoke up again.

“I may not have a time machine, but I can whip something up for you that would hopefully make you feel a little bit better.”

You raised your head to look at the older man smiling softly at you.

“Sounds good to me,” you sat up straight again, trying to regain some composure.

But about half an hour later you were still there, unable to stop the tears from falling anymore.

“I’m sorry,” you sobbed as the bartender handed you another bunch of napkins.

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” the man said, warmly, “I always tell my daughters that crying is a good way to get all that pent up energy out. It’s healthy.”

You couldn’t help but smile at his kind words, despite the tears that continued to fall.

The bartender patted your hand before taking your glass away.

“Want another?” he asked you, waving the empty glass.

You nodded.

“It was delicious.”

“Sex on the Beach,” the man explained over his shoulder as he began mixing different liquids, “It’s my wife’s favorite. Says it makes even the dreariest of days seem sunnier.”

You gave a small smile, wiping your eyes with another napkin.

“That’s just what I need right now,” you said, “The sunshine, I mean. Not the sex.”

The man chuckled as he slid the tropical-colored beverage towards you, as well as a cup of water.

“It can hit you pretty hard,” he warned, “so don’t drink it too fast.”

You nodded and he stepped back, satisfied.

“Enjoy,” he said as he started to head down to the other end of the bar, “If you need anything else, just wave me down.”

You took the little straw in between your lips and gave it a sip. The drink was strong, but it was delightfully tangy and fruity. It really did taste like you were laying on a tropical beach instead of crying your eyes out in a pub in the middle of downtown Hammerlocke.

You rested your cheeks in your cool hands, releasing a deep sigh. The kindness of the bartender was refreshing after the avalanches of disappointments that had been occurring over the course of the day.

 _It’s nice to know that not everyone is out to get me today,_ you thought as you leaned forward to another sip of your drink.

You became lost in your thoughts, sniffing as you stirred your beverage around with the straw. You still didn’t want to go back to your flat. Maybe you could spend a few nights at your childhood home in Wedgehurst to get away from the feelings for a bit - you knew your parents would be more than happy to let you stay with them.

You were so wrapped up in memories of your mom making a batch of your favorite brownies whenever you were sad growing up that you didn’t notice someone sitting down on the barstool next to you. It wasn’t until they spoke that you snapped to attention.

“I thought that jacket looked familiar.”

You turned your head so sharply that your hair stuck to your tear-streaked cheek. You brushed it away, blinking rapidly.

Piers had his elbow on the bar and a lazy smile on his face. You almost didn’t recognize him at first – his hair was still tied back, but now reached just under his shoulder blades. His face seemed leaner, and you could tell that he had definitely grown in the last few years. But even though they were hidden beneath tired lids coated with heavy black eyeliner, his blue eyes still seemed to shine in the low lighting.

“Piers!” you gasped, wiping away the tears that were still trailing down your cheeks, “H-hey! It’s been a while.”

He tilted his head.

“It has been,” he said slowly, his voice deeper than you remember, “but it looks like it hasn’t treated ya well, if ya don’t mind me sayin’.”

You paused, his comment making you give a watery chuckle.

“Fair enough. Just had a rough day,” you tried to assure him, “It’s no biggie.”

But your voice died in your throat when Piers reached over and gently took the collar of your – his – jacket, rubbing the well-worn material between his fingertips.

“Doesn’t look like no biggie,” he said softly, not looking you in the eye as he played with the warm leather.

“Can’t believe ya still have this ol’ thing,” he mumbled, lifting his gaze to meet yours.

You couldn’t help but give him a small smile.

“It’s probably my favorite thing that I own,” you tell him, your voice quiet.

Piers smiled at you, and it brought back memories of the same smile, aimed at you in this very room only years prior.

“Whatcha drinkin’ tonight?” Piers asked you, nodding towards your glass as he pulled his hand back from your jacket.

“Sex on the Beach,” you said, Piers’ dubious expression making you smile once more. “Wanna try?”

Piers eyed the drink as you handed it to him, giving you a shrug before taking the straw in his mouth and sipping.

“Damn,” he said as he handed you your glass back, “That’s tasty.”

You nodded, giving the drink another swirl with the straw before taking a sip of your own.

“Tell ya what,” Piers spoke up. You looked over at him as he adjusted his position to sit more comfortably.

“I don’t like seein’ ya so downhearted, so I’m gonna order us a round, and you can fill me in on why yer so upset.”

You didn’t move. “You don’t have to do that,” you said quietly, looking down at your drink in your hands, “I don’t want to dump my issues on you.”

Piers frowned.

“Somethin’s clearly upsettin’ you,” he said firmly, “and even though it’s been a fair few days since we last saw each other—”

You snorted, making him smile.

“—I do wanna help,” he tilted his head again, his long bangs falling to the side of his face, “Cuz I’m not gonna lie, you look like ya need a friend right now.”

You looked at him again. He seemed be genuine, you could see it in his eyes.

You sighed.

“Okay, fine,” you mumbled, “But don’t blame me if I make your day significantly worse.”

Piers clicked his tongue, already waving the bartender down.

“I finally get to talk to ya again,” he said, shooting you another warm smile, “If anythin’, you’ve made my day significantly better already.”

You couldn’t stop yourself from blushing, despite your heavy-hearted mood. You blamed the alcohol.

\---

Piers proved to be a wonderful distraction from your woes. Even though this was technically your first real conversation with the young man (and not just awkward teenage flirting), you were able to speak as easily as if you’d known him for years. You were unsure if it was him or the alcohol in your body that made you feel at ease, but at this point in time, you would take what you could get.

He was just telling you about why his band had to split up because he had taken on the role of Spikemuth’s Gym Leader in the last year. You took a sip of your drink, watching his facial expressions shift in the low lighting.

“You don’t seem too enthused with the idea,” you told him, noting how the corners of his mouth had turned down when he’d mentioned the Gym.

Piers sighed, looking down to the drink in his hand as it rested on the wooden counter of the bar. “It’s not that I’m not honored or anythin’, I truly am,” he said slowly, “It’s a big deal for Spikemuth to be finally recognized in the Galarian League, and not gonna lie, it feels nice to be noticed as a strong enough Pokemon Trainer. Plus, I do enjoy it,” he added before taking a sip of his drink, “…Usually.”

“It must be a pretty heavy responsibility,” you said quietly.

Piers shrugged.

“Doesn’t it frustrate you that you can’t perform like you used to?”

“Sorta,” he mumbled, looking at you, “but at least I know no matter what happens, I’ll always have music to come back to in the end. B’sides, I ain’t plannin’ on doin’ this forever; I’m not like the Champion.”

You smiled at him, taking another sip of your drink. You were almost finished with it, and you toyed with the idea of ordering a third, ignoring the tipsiness settling around your vision.

Piers shifted in his seat, taking another swig of his drink before turning to face you head-on.

“Now, tell me what was troublin’ ya so much.”

Thoughts of losing your job and the world-shattering sight of the people you’d trusted the most going behind your back suddenly overwhelmed you. You squeezed your eyes shut and pressed your eyelids with your fingertips in an attempt to alleviate the strain, but tears were already forming again.

You gave a shaky sigh, opening your eyes as you lowered your hand to your glass.

“I lost my job today,” you whispered, keeping your line of sight on the empty glass in front of you.

Piers shifted his weight to lean towards you but paused when you spoke again.

“And I caught my boyfriend cheating on me,” your voice wavered dangerously, “with my best friend.”

Your voice finally cracked with the last word you spoke. The tears flowed down your cheeks, and you leaned forward to bury your face in your arms as you finally broke down. You had enough booze on your brain, so you didn’t care about becoming a sobbing mess in front of Piers.

Suddenly, you felt two arms wrap around your shoulders.

“Hey,” Piers mumbled as he pulled you to his side. You continued to cry as you rested your head against his shoulder. He started rubbing circles on your shoulder in an attempt to soothe you.

“(Y/N), ’m so sorry,” he said gently as he held you, “I know it probably doesn’t help, but I’m so sorry that this happened to you.”

You nodded, sniffling. 

“I just,” you choked out amidst your tears, “I just wish I knew what I did wrong.”

“You didn’t do anythin’ wrong,” Piers said firmly, giving your shoulder a squeeze. You could feel his head turn to lay his cheek on the top of your head, “Don’t ever think for a second that this was yer fault, cuz it’s not, alright?”

You gave a tiny nod.

The two of you stayed like that for a few moments, Piers graciously held you while you released all the tension that had been building up inside you all day in the form of quiet sobs, continuing to rub your shoulder as you eventually calmed down enough to steady your breathing.

“Can I ask what happened to make you lose yer job?” he asked delicately.

You used a napkin to dry your eyes, sniffling as you gave him a one-sided shrug.

“I honestly should’ve seen it coming,” you told him, your voice wobbly, “I worked for a local company in their records department, with 4 other people. But…” you bunched up the napkin in your fist and squeezed, “I guess they finally realized that computers are more efficient than people, and you don’t have to pay a computer to work twice as hard as a human being.”

Piers flinched. “That’s harsh,” he muttered, “Whatta bunch of asshats, letting hard-workin’ employees go just to replace them with tech.”

You snorted, and reached out for your drink. You took a sip, only to be disappointed with the lack of alcohol coming up through your straw. You waved at the bartender, getting the man’s attention.

“Ya gonna have another?” Piers piped up as the bartender approached. You glanced over to see his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

“I mean, it’s not like I have anywhere to be tomorrow,” you pointed out dryly.

Piers was serious for a second before he shrugged, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips.

“Better make that two,” he said to the bartender, who smiled and nodded.

\---

You left the bar almost an hour later after that, laughing loudly. You leaned against Piers, grateful for his height as he half held you up, your arm around his shoulder and his around yours.

“I’ve got half a m-mind to waltz back down there and kick his sorry ass!” You announced loudly, swinging your leg out to prove your point and almost losing your balance as a result.

“Maybe it’s best if we don’t,” Piers’ voice lilted as he tried to keep you upright, unable to keep the laughter from his own voice, “As much as I like causin’ trouble, I do unfortunately have a reputation to uphold now.”

“Oh, _pssh_ ,” you scoffed, bumping Piers’ hip with yours, “Y-you an’ I could get into alllll SORTS of trouble! Just a – just a coupla delinquents, we are!” You swung out your leg again, causing Piers to stumble.

He grinned as he tried to shush your cackling laugh. “Will ya knock it off? Keep swingin’ yer appendages around and I might accidentally end up on top of ya.”

You turned to look at him. In your drunken state, Piers looked absolutely incredible in the yellow light of the streetlamps. All inhibitions were gone at this point, so you didn’t think twice before speaking your mind.

“I don’t think I would mind that, to be hhhonest,” you said, putting a lot of emphasis on the ‘h’.

Piers paused. You could see that his cheeks were pink, but you paid no mind to what you just said as you slipped out of his grip and teetered along down the cobblestone street.

“Just you and me,” you sang out, spreading your arms wide as you spun to face Piers, “Twoooo rebels against the world!”

Piers laughed, but his laughter stopped instantly as your foot caught on a loose cobblestone and you began to stumble. Amazing, really, how everything seemed to feel like it was in slow motion when you were drunk.

Almost as though in a blink of an eye, he was there, catching you in his arms before you fully lost your balance.

“Yer ridiculous,” he muttered. He pulled you close to steady you, but there was a sudden tenderness in his voice that caught your attention. You looked up at his face.

Something about the way he was looking at you reminded you of how you felt over 3 years ago, when the same striking blue eyes looked at you as he was walking offstage, and again when you sought him out in the dim hallway, desperate to talk to him for even a moment. They made you feel wanted, like nothing in the world could hurt you. How nice it was, to feel wanted right now, when you had been feeling cast aside by all the people who you thought were important to you.

You were getting lost in Piers’ eyes, and you didn’t miss when they shifted down to your lips and back to your eyes, quicker than lightning. You couldn’t help but wonder if Piers wanted you just as much as you wanted him right now, and if his lips tasted half as good as the fruity drinks you’d both just been enjoying. The musky scent of his cologne clouded your mind as you slowly started to lean in—

A sudden crash caused you both to jolt. A Meowth ran out of an alley ahead, but it was enough to break the trance that you had found yourself under. A wash of warmth ran over your face as Piers let you go, stepping away and keeping his gaze away from you. You felt a wave of shame wash over you for misinterpreting the moment and kept your eyes pointed at your feet.

“Let’s get ya a Flyin’ Taxi so you can get home in one piece,” he said quietly, walking on ahead of you.

You followed along beside him, though you couldn’t stop yourself from tilting your head to sneak a peek at him from under your eyelashes. You couldn’t see his full expression, but the bright red of his ears was enough to tell you that he was probably blushing as much as you were.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered, your hand coming up to fidget with a loose strand of your hair, “I d-didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable…”

Piers paused and sighed before turning to face you.

“Ya didn’t,” he said quietly as he took your hand from your hair and held it, “An’ don’t be sorry. Yer just… not in the right place right now, and I…”

He hesitated before sighing again, giving your hand a gentle squeeze and letting it go.

“I just wanna make sure yer safe,” he said before pulling out his Rotom-phone, calling for a Flying Taxi. Once he entered your location, he held his phone out towards you.

You blinked, looking from Piers to the device in his hand, then back up at his face again.

“Give me yer phone number,” Piers said gently, giving the phone a little shake, “You can text me whenever ya need someone to listen, or… whatever.”

You swallowed as you took the phone, adding yourself as a new contact and typed in your number.

“You know,” you said as you handed Piers his phone back, “most guys just ask a girl for her phone number right out the gate, and not when they’re a drunk, emotional mess.” As if the universe wanted to prove your point, you accidentally let slip a tiny hiccup.

Piers smirked at you, quickly typing something on his phone before tucking it into his pants pocket.

“Maybe so,” he said, “Or maybe I like a challenge. I still got yer number, didn’t I?”

You couldn’t stop yourself from smiling shyly at him. His cheeks were still tinted with a blush, and the way his eyes shone in the lamplight made your heart pound. You sincerely hoped that you weren’t drunk enough to forget how Piers looked in this moment. You wanted to remember this forever.

Suddenly a Corviknight screeched overhead, and the Flying Taxi landed close by. You turned to face the cab, but something made you hesitate to leave.

“Text me when ya get home safe, okay?” you heard Piers say, his voice quiet behind you.

In a split-second decision, you whirled around and threw your arms around Piers’ shoulders, giving him a tight hug.

“Thank you for listening tonight,” you whispered, deciding to be brave and pressed a hasty kiss to his cheek before you turned again, not looking back as you hopped into the cab and it took off into the sky.

You looked at the street below once you were airborne, and a small lump formed in your throat when you saw that the street was devoid of life. Piers was already gone.

Suddenly your phone buzzed in your pocket. You pulled it out to see a text from an unknown number, sending only a variety of citrus emojis. You smiled as a second text popped up, showing only a tiny skull. You added the number to your contacts, adding the skull and a little orange emoji next Piers’ name.

You didn’t remember much after that, and was relieved when you woke up the next morning in your own bed with only a mild headache. _Nothing that some painkillers and lots of coffee and sports drinks wouldn’t fix,_ you thought as you started grabbing some clean clothes and stuffing them into a duffle bag.

You were at the train station almost an hour later, coffee in hand as you hung up your phone. You’d just talked to your mom, letting her know that you were coming home for a few days. She was excited to see you, though she was deeply sorry for the circumstances and promised to have a fresh batch of brownies waiting for you when you arrived.

But before you could put your phone in your pocket, it began ringing again. You frowned as you examined the number – it wasn’t anyone you knew.

 _This had better not be a telemar_ keter, you thought grumpily as you answered the call and brought your phone back to your ear.

“Hello?”

“Good morning!” a woman’s voice cheerily sang out. Not at all what you were expecting. “Am I speaking with (Y/N)?”

You blinked. “Yes, this is her,” you said slowly.

“Wonderful!” You could practically feel this woman’s smile shining through your phone’s receiver.

“I’m calling on behalf of the Hammerlocke History Foundation. We’ve been told that you were experienced with data collection and management, and we’ve been looking for someone to fill a position in the Hammerlocke Gym and Vault’s Documentation team. Would you be interested in coming for an interview?”

You were completely stunned. You opened and closed your mouth for a few seconds before you found your voice again.

“Y—I mean, I’d love to!” you squeaked out. Working for the Hammerlocke Vault? It was like a dream come true.

A few minutes later, you had an interview booked and were profusely thanking the woman for her consideration. But before you hung up, you paused.

“Out of curiosity,” you furrowed your brows, “How did you happen to hear about me?”

“Ah,” the woman said, her voice warm, “It was a bit of a process, really. Someone had mentioned to our Gym Leader that he’d known of someone who’d just recently lost their job in a similar field to what we’re looking for, and the information was passed down to me, as I help run the department. And now, here we are!”

“I-I see,” you said. Thanking the woman again for her time, you hung up your phone, your mind swimming as you stepped on to your train.

You phone buzzed as you sat down. You pulled it out, almost dropping it when you read the text.

 _youre welcome_ , Piers had sent, _let me know how ur interview goes_

You cupped your hands to your face, trying not to scream as the train pulled out of the station.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally able to post this next chapter! Happy (actual) birthday to me!!
> 
> Also finally some good news: we should hopefully be getting internet set up in the next few weeks so I don't have to wait another month until I can smuggle my laptop to my in-law's house to post the next chapter!!!!! YAY!
> 
> also sex on the beach is my favourite drink ever and yes, it is delicious, but Good Lord proceed with caution. It'll knock you on your ass if you're not careful (but I'm also a hella lightweight so don't take my words too seriously)


	3. At Desire's Mercy

The next few months flew by in the blink of an eye. You still couldn’t believe that you now worked in the great Vaults of Hammerlocke, hundreds of years of research and information at your very fingertips. The job was overwhelming at times, but you proved yourself to be a hard worker. You were even recommended for spearheading a huge project in your department: documenting the oldest texts in the Vault’s collection so that their knowledge will be stored in a databank for eons to come. It was ironic, really, how you’d lost your previous job due to computers, and now your new job basically revolved around them, working alongside books and files.

However, you’d woken up this morning with a weird tension somewhere deep in your body. You paid it no mind as you got your day started, but it grew more apparent as the day carried on. You caught yourself getting easily irritated, but one check on an app mentioned that you were still at least a couple weeks away from getting your period.

 _So it’s not hormones, then,_ you frowned as you put your phone on your desk, _but why do I still feel so weird?_

You chalked it up to lack of sleep and being overwhelmed from work, and promised yourself that you would have a good meal and get to sleep at a decent time tonight. You got back to work, thinking eagerly of what to make for dinner when you got home.

But later that evening found you walking home to your studio, your irritation only increasing with every step you took.

 _Maybe I’m just getting hella hangry_ , you thought with a curt sigh as you strode.

But even after making yourself dinner, that irritated feeling remained.

You decided to change into your pajamas and settle down with a cheesy movie to help you relax. But as you removed your shirt and bra, the feeling of the cool evening air meeting your bare skin made you inhale sharply.

You paused, standing shirtless in the dim light of your apartment. Suddenly, it all started to click.

Ever since you officially dumped your now ex-boyfriend months ago, you’ve been content with living the single life. Only now you realized that, even though you didn’t really crave the feeling of being in a relationship, you were definitely craving that feeling of hot skin-on-skin, of sloppy kisses and brave hands roaming over your warm, sensitive body.

You hurriedly pulled your oversized t-shirt on and hopped onto the couch, wrapping yourself in a blanket and turning the TV on. You didn’t want to be thinking about this right now. You didn’t want to be thinking of how your ex used to know all the places that made you gasp, how one little lick on the skin under your ear makes you melt—

You groan, turning the TV off again right away. You pulled your blanket around you tighter, your groaning continuing as you pulled the blanket over your head. You flopped over sideways on the sofa, letting out one last loud, frustrated groan. There you remained for a few moments, thinking of what to do about this… predicament.

With a huff, you untangled yourself from your blanket and strode over to your bathroom. You turned the water in the tub on, letting it fill with hot water as you rummaged around in your vanity. You pulled out a couple of candles, determined to get your own damn hormones in check on your own. If you needed to set the mood yourself, then so be it.

Soon you were submerged in the warm bath water, with only your head and knees exposed to the warm temperature of the bathroom air. The lights were off, with only the flickering light of the few candles you lit reflecting off the barely rippling water.

You exhaled, blowing little bubbles in the water. Your skin felt tingly, and you couldn’t stop yourself from gently drawing your fingertips up and down from your waist to your thighs. You lifted one hand to your chest, ever so gently massaging the tender skin on your left breast. You hummed as you took your nipple in your fingertips, gasping as you gave it a slight tweak.

You kept your one hand on your breast as you snuck the other hand slowly down, tracing a line down your stomach to the sensitive spot between your legs. One stroke of your finger was enough to get your back to arch, you gasping again as your breasts lifted out of the water, causing the reflection of the candles to move sporadically around you.

 _I guess it_ has _been a little while since I last did this_ , you figured as you traced soft circles on your one breast, your other hand gently stroking the skin of your inner thigh before sneaking back in between your legs. You pushed your thumb against your clit, almost crying out at the intense pleasure even the smallest touch brought. You began to circle the little nub with your middle finger, your breathing becoming heavier as the pleasure it brought grew.

But it still wasn’t enough. You stretched your arm out, bringing your finger from your clit down to your sensitive entrance. You prodded it ever so gently, marveling at how wet you felt, even though you were underwater.

You extended your finger, sliding it into your entrance with no effort. You whined a bit at the tender sensation, and though you normally knew how to get yourself going, you noted that your one finger _still_ wasn’t enough.

You withdrew your middle finger, only to reinsert it along with your ring finger. You leaned your head back, letting out a soft moan at the combined feelings of your fingers pumping in and out and your nipple being pinched and tugged. You pressed the heel of your palm into your clit as you moved your fingers in and out of your entrance, squeezing your eyes shut at the intense pleasure it brought.

But still, it wasn’t _enough_.

You could feel an orgasm start to bud deep in your core, but your fingers weren’t enough to draw it out. You needed something longer, something thicker.

Something – or someone – else.

You grumbled as you opened your eyes. You removed your hand from your legs, resting it on your right breast instead. You occupied yourself by playing with your breasts, watching them sway as weightless as feathers in the water. You tweaked both nipples, smiling despite your frustrations.

 _Maybe I should just suck it up and invest in a toy,_ you thought as you fondled yourself.

And yet, you somehow knew that it wouldn’t be enough for you right now. It wasn’t just that you craved a hot dick inside of you, but it was the intensity of having someone over you, their hands rough but tender as they caressed you, their mouth hot on yours, trailing down to leave kisses down your neck and collarbone.

You huffed, giving your breasts one last squeeze before sitting up to drain the water from the tub. You dried yourself off, looking yourself over in the mirror as you wrapped your hair up in a towel. You weren’t unattractive, you supposed. You had a pretty decent ass and a great pair of boobs, in your own opinion. And your face was pretty nice, too.

You left your steamy bathroom and walked towards your wardrobe, your bare feet plodding on the hardwood floor. You frowned as you opened the wooden door, realizing that you didn’t really know how to go forward from here. It’s not like you could just ring up your ex and ask for one last sexual endeavor.

 _Though it’s not like he has any qualms about staying in a committed relationship_ , you noted bitterly as you started pulling clothes out and tossing them onto your bed. Once you were satisfied with the pile of clothes in front of you, you put your hands on your naked hips with a sigh. Calling up your ex was definitely out of the question, so the only real solution would be to go seek some random guy out.

 _Not that it should be difficult_ , you thought as you started rifling through your pile of clothing, _I mean, I’m a fairly attractive single woman in the second biggest city of Galar. I’m sure finding a single guy who just wants to have some no-strings-attached sex won’t be too hard._

Soon, after tossing a number of rejected outfits back into your wardrobe, you had settled for a looser black top that barely covered your shoulders, its sweetheart neckline showing just enough cleavage to look tasteful but teasing. You’d originally bought it to wear on your ex’s birthday. _But, given the circumstances…_ you thought with a smirk as you pulled it on _, Oh well, his loss._

You paired it with a pair of high-rise denim cut-offs, and you decided to wear an old pair of tights underneath to protect your legs from the chill of the mid-September air. You almost reached for your black heels, but decided against it, thinking they made it look like you were trying too hard. It’s not like you wanted to _look_ like you were screaming, _I’m horny as hell, please have sex with me._ You opted for your black ankle boots instead, going for a more casual look.

You looked at yourself in your full-length mirror, turning this way and that to admire your handiwork. Satisfied with your appearance, you quickly grabbed what was left of your clothes and shoved them back into the wardrobe. You gave your apartment a quick once-over. If you did end up finding someone, chances of you coming back here were very likely, so you gave your sofa pillows a quick fluff and sprayed a touch of air freshener around.

You decided that it was time to start your hunt. But before you headed out the door, you dug around in your nightstand. Pulling out a condom, you slipped it into your back pocket with a small smile.

 _I can’t believe I’m actually about to do this,_ you thought as you grabbed your lucky leather jacket before turning the lights off and locking the door.

And that’s how you found yourself at the same pub once more. You actually came here quite often these days, appreciating the kindness of the employees when you were here with a broken heart. Plus, the drinks were good, and you knew from experience now that there were always a number of decent-looking guys that hung around there.

And sure enough, the place was hopping tonight, though the lack of live music was disappointing. You waved at the familiar bartender behind the bar, snagging a seat at the wooden counter.

“What’ll it be tonight?” the bartender asked as he approached, his smile friendly, “Sex on the Beach again?”

You almost said yes to your usual, but memories of how strong it was stopped you. You needed to keep your wits about you tonight, so you ordered a strawberry daiquiri instead.

Soon you had your bright red drink in hand, and you turned to scope out tonight’s patrons. Your eyes landed on a table not too far off of about five guys who looked to be about your age, and you paid extra attention to the one facing you. He was handsome enough, and you could see from this distance that he had no ring on his hand. You smiled. Jackpot.

Sure enough, it didn’t take long before the young man looked up and made eye contact with you. You stared at him, giving him a little flirty smile as you wrapped your lips around your straw.

He smiled at you, and you turned away as he leant in to whisper to his friends. You could see out of your peripheral vision that the rest of his group had all turned to check you out. You smiled to yourself when you heard one of them loudly say, “Holy shit, dude,” before they all leant in speaking excitedly in hushed tones.

You turned your head, sneaking a peek in their direction. The guy was watching you, and you shot him another smile. You tilted your head flirtatiously, as if inviting him to come closer.

It looked as though he was about to stand up when he froze, his expression changing. He hurriedly sat back down, making you frown in confusion.

Suddenly, a stern voice piped up from behind you.

“What the hell do ya think yer doin’?”

You turned to see who was speaking to you like that, your irritation spiking.

It was Piers, standing over you with a frown. He had a guitar strapped to his back, and you could see that he was wearing a Spikemuth Gym uniform under his black jacket. He still looked just as handsome as ever, despite the look on his face, and your heart skipped a beat when you saw him.

“Hello to you too,” you said dryly as you took a sip of your drink.

Piers placed a hand on his hip in response, not saying anything. His eyebrows lifted at your tone.

“What are ya doin’?” he asked again.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” you retorted, “And what are _you_ doing? Shouldn’t you be in Spikemuth doing Gym Leader things?”

Piers clicked his tongue.

“I had the night off,” he said, shrugging the shoulder holding his guitar, “I came here to play a few sets.”

Your eyebrows twitched as you stared at him. You couldn’t hide the disappointment that came from knowing that you had just missed Piers perform again. It’d been a few months since you’d seen him, and you couldn’t help but notice the dark marks around his eyes that clearly weren’t just smudged eyeliner.

“You look tired,” you said softly.

Piers snorted. “Don’t try an’ change the subject,” he said sternly, “I asked ya what yer doin’.”

You rolled your eyes. “What are you, my dad?”

“Cuz to me,” Piers said, ignoring your snarky comment as he sat down next to you, “it looks like yer tryin’ to get picked up.”

You scoffed.

“What if I’m the one trying to do the picking?” You said pointedly, raising an eyebrow.

Piers froze. He turned to face you, his face like a mask as you swiveled around on your stool to look him dead on. You didn’t miss the way his eyes wandered up and down your body, checking you out, and the way his adam’s apple bobbed when he swallowed.

You smirked, a dastardly idea forming in your head.

“Unless you had a better… alternative in mind,” you almost purred as you nudged his leg with your foot.

 _Boom_ , you smiled inwardly as Piers’ face flushed pink in the dim lighting.

“I-I—” he stammered.

“Because I’m open to _anything_ ,” You murmured as you leaned in towards him, knowing damn well that you were giving Piers a free taste of what lied hidden under your shirt. You didn’t miss the way his eyes darted from your face to your exposed chest and up again.

Suddenly Piers was on his feet, towering over you, a dark look in his eyes.

“Don’t go challengin’ me, (Y/N),” he warned, his voice low and raspy as he leaned over you, “cuz I never back down from a challenge.”

You stood up too, though you didn’t reach anywhere close to Piers’ height, but he blinked as you gave him a mischievous smile.

“Good,” you said, getting close to his face, “because neither do I.”

That was all it took. Next thing you knew, you were trying to unlock your front door, but feeling the intensity of Piers watching you from behind made you a little nervous.

As soon as you had the door unlocked, you let the young man in. But before you could even register what was happening, the door was slammed shut behind you and Piers towered over you once more, his arm next to your face as he had you trapped with your back against the old wood, his guitar disposed of and propped up against the wall.

“What happened to all that confidence ya had back at the bar?” he said quietly, his voice low as he leant in close, “cuz I’m not gonna lie, it was pretty damn hot.”

You smirked.

“Oh, it’s still here,” you murmured in your own low tone as you traced your finger down Piers’ toned chest, “Trust me.”

That was all Piers needed. Next thing you knew, his lips were on yours, his free arm wrapping around your waist and pulling you tight. You tilted your head to give him easier access, and opened your mouth ever so slightly.

You could feel Piers smirk slightly against your lips as he accepted your invitation, the tip of his tongue making contact with yours. You were so caught up in the sensation of actually kissing Piers, and being surrounded by the musky cologne he wore - it was almost enough to make your knees weak. You couldn’t help but think, as Piers removed his hand from the door to gently snake his fingers under your hair, his mouth moving almost hungrily against yours, of what your younger self would think of this sight.

Piers’ hand made its way up from your waist, his cool fingertips brushing against the sliver of exposed skin that peeked through between your shirt and shorts. You pushed your body further against him, pressing your chest into his enough to make him take a few steps backwards. His fingers grew braver as you tangled your tongue with his, slipping under the material of your shirt and ghosting across your hot skin. You heard him almost groan at the contact, and smirked.

You reached up, tracing the lines of his neck and bringing your fingers down along his lean shoulders. Your fingertips caught on the collar of his jacket, and you didn’t hesitate to slowly push the heavy material off of Piers’ shoulders. He smiled into your lips again as he released his hold on your body enough to help shrug the jacket off, letting it fall onto the floor behind him.

“Undressin’ me already, huh?” he breathed, smirking, “My, aren’t you a bold one.”

You smile as you press your lips to his again.

“Oh, shut it,” you murmured, inhaling sharply as Piers’ one hand slipped under your shirt again, the other one cupping the curve of your ass. You felt him exhale in laughter at your sassy remark as you pulled your head back, the feeling of his hands on you everything you had been craving.

“You’re a little handsy, aren’t you?” You asked him teasingly, gasping as Piers ducked down to press his lips against the warm skin of your neck, his one hand sneaking closer and closer to the edge of your bra.

He hummed in agreement, leaving a trail of hot kisses up your neck as he removed his hand from your shirt, joining his other in firmly gripping your ass.

“You like it,” you felt him breathe against your neck. You jolted as if a shock went through your body when he ever-so gently nipped the tender skin under your ear.

He hummed again. “Right there, huh?” he whispered before nipping the spot again, smirking as he felt your body press against his.

You were becoming a mess, and you weren’t even topless yet. You almost let out a whimper as Piers dragged his tongue over your sensitive skin, your hands gripping his shoulders tightly. You lowered your head, pressing your lips against Piers’ warm shoulder and biting down on the exposed skin.

You felt him jolt under you, causing you to smile.

“Oh what, yer a biter, too?” you heard him say, but his voice gave out when you gave the spot you just bit a little suck and a swirl of your tongue. You smiled against his skin, slipping your hand down and under the tight material of his Gym uniform, dragging your fingers across his abdomen and up his sides.

“Maybe,” you said, pulling back enough to see the dangerous glint in Piers’ eyes. You began to push the uniform off of his lean torso, and he took a step back to grab the fabric and pull it over his head. In the dim glow from the streetlamps in your window, Piers looked like a dream. He may be thinner than you’d expected, but his broad shoulders and toned chest made your heart stop.

You ran your fingers along his pectorals, admiring him in the low light.

“See somethin’ ya like?” Piers asked huskily. You looked up at him to see him smiling down at you almost shyly, the dark glint in his eye replaced by something softer.

You smiled back at him, dragging your fingers across his shoulder and up his neck.

“You’re beautiful,” you whispered.

Piers said nothing, but leant down, slipping his hand under the nape of your neck and pulled you in. He pressed his lips to yours, but it wasn’t as hungry as the previous kisses. This one seemed almost… loving.

You smiled into the kiss, but you didn’t want to get too caught in the moment. You darted your tongue out, swiping it over his slightly chapped lips before they parted, his tongue dancing with yours once more.

You broke the kiss, pulling back, but Piers wasn’t done with you yet. He grabbed your waist, holding you tight as he pressed his lips to yours again desperately.

You responded in full, but you were determined to keep this train rolling. You kept pushing your body against him, directing him deeper into your apartment until he finally lost his balance and stumbled over the arm of your sofa. He looked up at you from where he sat, his eyes wide and his arms splayed out behind him.

“That was rude,” he said.

You couldn’t help but giggle as you crawled over him, straddling his waist with your thighs.

“We’re gonna be here all night at this rate,” you said teasingly as you rested your hands on his chest. You could feel his heart pounding under your palms, but what was more exciting was the familiar feel of something hard rubbing against your inner thigh.

Piers grinned at you. “Ya say that like it’s a bad thing,” he said before sitting up, snaking his fingers under your shirt again. He looked at you as if he was asking permission, which you granted with a smile and a small nod. Piers pushed the loose black material up, you lifting your arms so he could get the shirt on the floor faster.

Once the fabric fell to the side, you were suddenly a little self-conscious. You didn’t move to cover yourself up, but you could feel yourself blushing as Piers looked upon your bare skin. You avoided his eyes as his fingers ghosted over your collarbone, and down through the small valley between your breasts, catching on the wire of your bra. You closed your eyes as you reached behind you, unclasping your bra with ease and slipping it off to fully expose yourself.

You chanced a glance at him, only to see that his eyes were wide and his mouth slightly open in stunned silence as he took all of you in.

“Yer even more perfect than I ever imagined,” he whispered hoarsely as his hesitantly reached up, running his fingers down your ribs.

You shivered, giving him a playful smirk.

“You mean you’ve imagined me like this before?” you asked him.

He grinned, shrugging.

“I mean, I ain’t exactly sayin’ no,” he muttered, but you silenced him when you bent down to give him a kiss.

You smiled against his lips, his comment going straight to the growing warmth gathering between your legs. You lowered your head further, dragging your lips across his jawline and down his neck. You gave his skin a playful nip, feeling Piers inhale sharply under you, your hands smoothing over his shoulders, down his arms, across his stomach.

You felt brave, and ever-so-slightly grazed your fingers just under the edge of his jeans across his waist. In response, Piers slightly bucked his hips, letting out a groan as you snuck your fingers under his jeans some more, just a bit further.

“(Y/N),” he whispered hoarsely, “stop teasin’ me.”

You hummed as you took your kisses further still. You trailed down his neck down to his collarbone, giving it a gentle swipe of your tongue, before continuing down his chest. You could feel Piers practically squirming under you, and it made you smile.

Suddenly, you felt Piers rest a hand on your arm, making you pause your advance. You looked up at him to see that that dangerous glint was back in his eyes, and it excited you to no end. You sat up straight, and Piers used your brief pause to reach up and push you over backwards.

Your bare back fell against the cushions, and you could feel your breasts bounce in the sudden movement. You blinked, and Piers was leaning over you, staring at you almost hungrily.

“Don’t tease me,” he said, his voice so low it almost sounded like a growl, “unless ya can take what ya give.”

His voice shot right to your core. You gave him a dark grin of your own as you reached out to wrap your fingers around his belt. You pulled him down to your level with a jerk of your arm.

“Trust me, Piers,” you whispered in his ear, “I can take whatever you can dish out.”

You felt Piers shiver as he pulled himself up, his face close to yours. The intensity of his gaze was almost enough to make you melt.

“Fuck, ya don’t even know what ya do to me,” he growled before his lips crashed into yours once more.

You hummed into his ravenous kisses, pulling away slightly.

“Probably the same things you do to me,” you said, gasping as his lips connected with your neck again. Piers groaned in response, his hands slipping up and cupping your breasts. You gasp again as he squeezed and massaged, and you practically cried out when he took one nipple between his fingers and the other in his mouth. Your back arched as your hand flew to your mouth, biting down on one finger as Piers dragged his tongue over your sensitive nipple, giving it a few flicks before taking it into his mouth once more.

“Ah--!” You all but cried out as he switched sides. “Piers, I—”

But you didn’t finish what you were saying, crying out loud when he pinched your nipple gently between his teeth. He glanced up at your face, his eyes glittering in the darkness as he continued to suckle on your perky tip.

“Seems like ya really enjoy this,” he whispered, his breath hot against your skin.

You said nothing, but nodded slightly as he gave your other breast one more squeeze with his hand before he reached up, pressing a kiss right beside your panting mouth.

“So, what else do I do to ya?” he asked, his voice low and rough. You looked at him as he leaned back, reaching for his belt buckle.

You reached forward, stopping him from taking his belt off.

“Well, for starters,” you tell him quietly, “I’ve been wanting to do this since the night we first met.” And you leaned forward, pressing your lips to his tenderly. He let go of his belt to place one hand on your bare waist, and the other slipped around your neck as he kissed you back.

“Yeah?” he practically croaked, his cheeks dark when you pulled away.

You smiled at him, giving him a little nod. You knew you were blushing as well.

Your smile turned more devious as you suddenly reach down and give his belt a yank, sliding it off his waist in a single movement.

“And I’ve been wanting to do this since we _last_ met,” you tell him, reaching for his jeans button. It was more or less the truth – you’ve definitely imagined the man laying before you in risqué situations before, but not all your thoughts had been clouded by lust. In fact, though you were aware that you weren’t actively looking to start a new relationship, you knew that the man kneeling shirtless in front of you would be the one exception.

But you didn’t tell him that as you helped him slip out of his tight jeans. Now was not the time for mushy relationship talk. Now was the time for sexy-fun-times talk.

Piers was still as you removed your cutoffs, watching you slide them down your legs along with your tights. You sat up on your knees, dropping your bottoms to the floor beside your top as Piers both sat in nothing but his briefs and you in your lacy panties.

Pier took one look at your underwear and looked up at you, smirking.

“What, were ya expectin’ someone tonight?”

You shrugged, wrapping your arms around Piers’ shoulders as he crept closer to you.

“I did warn you at the bar that I was looking to do some picking for myself,” you said to him, grinning as he pressed kisses to your chest.

He looked up at you, his eyes shining earnestly in the dark.

“I could tell,” he admitted, “but I felt like I had to say somethin’...”

He lowered his gaze before he continued.

“It would’ve probably killed me inside if I saw ya goin’ home with some other guy,” you heard him mumble.

You reached down, cupping Piers’ cheek and guiding him to face you.

“Piers—” you started, but were interrupted by his hungry lips on yours once more.

You got wrapped up in his kiss, but noticed that he was laying you down on the sofa cushions. You felt his fingers get caught in the elastic band of your panties, giving them a gentle tug as if, once again, he was asking permission before moving forward. Your heart swelled, and you lifted your hips, allowing him to slip your panties down your legs and onto the floor with the rest of your clothes.

You did the same, snagging the band of his briefs and pulling them down. Piers adjusted his body so that he too could join you in bareness, and leant back once you had discarded his briefs as well.

You heard him swear under his breath at the sight of you laying naked in front of him, but you were too distracted by what was hanging merely inches from your face to register what Piers was saying. You blinked at the sight of him, fully exposed and erect, and it was enough to make your brain temporarily stop working.

You hesitantly brought a hand up, giving Piers a gentle stroke with your fingertip. You could see a shiver running through his body at the contact, and he hissed between his teeth. It was long, and definitely thicker than your ex’s. You were very excited to see what Piers would feel like, hitting all the right places inside of you.

“(Y/N)—” Piers started to say, but his words were lost in his throat as you leant forwards, giving the swollen tip a gentle lick.

You looked up at him, your eyes shining as you gave him a teasing smile. You could see his eyebrows furrow, but it was the shudder and the gasp you heard as you gave Piers a solid lick up the shaft, from base to tip that made you feel warmth between your legs once more.

“(Y/N),” Piers gasped, his voice cracking a bit as he struggled to keep himself upright, “Don’t ya fuckin’ tease me, I swear to Arceus.”

You shot him a brief glare, making his eyes go wide. Without even hesitating, you took Piers into your mouth, hearing him cry out as you slowly drew your head back towards the tip.

“Fuck!” Piers groaned as you continued to suck him off, unable to stop himself from bending over you, overcome by pleasure.

You couldn’t stop yourself from smiling a bit as you slowly licked Piers’ shaft up and down, thoroughly enjoying the sounds of him gasping and swearing under his breath. When you got brave and went down deep enough for his tip to hit the back of your throat, Piers all but mewled in the darkness.

He hissed your name. “I-I’m gonna cum if ya keep that up,” he panted, gripping the edge of the sofa as you didn’t move, holding his dick in place in your mouth.

You supposed he was right, and slowly pulled back, giving the tip one last swirl of your tongue before you released him with a _pop._

You kneeled in front of Piers, wiping your chin with an innocent smile on your face as you admired the panting mess Piers had become in front of you.

“Where the _fuck_ did you learn to do that?” Piers asked you, running his hand through his mess of black and white fringe that had fallen in his face.

You shrugged, smiling.

But before you could say anything, Piers had reached out, grabbed your shoulders and gave you a shove, pushing you down onto your back. Your legs splayed out to keep your balance, and you suddenly felt Piers’ cool hands on your thighs, holding you down. You looked up at him, seeing that that dangerous glint was back in his eyes once more. You didn’t think you’d be into rougher sex, but you were excited to no end when Piers pulled your legs closer to him.

“I’d say that you’d deserve the same treatment,” Piers all but purred into your ear. He released one of your thighs, and you jolted when you felt his finger stroke the heat between your legs.

“But judgin’ by how wet ya already are…” Piers said, holding up his free hand. You could see your own juices shining in the dim lamplight, and even you were stunned at how wet you were. Piers drew his fingers to his mouth, sucking your wetness off while not taking his eyes from you.

“Well, I think we can just skip that step,” he muttered, adjusting his hips.

“Wait.”

You held out a hand to stop him from proceeding. You reached below you, grabbing your denim shorts and pulling out the condom you had stuffed into your pocket. You handed the rubber to Piers, his eyes shining as he took the small packet from you. Once he had the condom on, he repositioned himself.

Suddenly you felt his tip at your entrance, and you groaned out loud when he didn’t move.

“Piers,” you grabbed at his arms, looking at him intensely.

“Hmm?” he hummed, and it shot right to your heat.

“Please…”

“Please what?”

You leaned up, pressing your cheek against his.

“I need you,” you whined into his ear.

He clicked his tongue. “Do ya now?” he asked you, and began to drag his tip up and down your slick entrance, making you toss your head back.

“I do!” You whimpered, “Please, Piers!”

“What do ya want me to do?” Piers leaned over you; his mouth close enough to yours to feel his lips ghosting over yours.

You swallowed.

“I want you to _fuck_ me,” you whispered against his lips.

You felt Piers smirk against you when he gave a gentle thrust, and he slid inside you as if it was nothing.

You arched your back, the sudden feeling of fullness almost overwhelming. Piers fit inside you almost perfectly, and it as enough to practically make you cry.

Piers kissed you, not moving for a moment.

“Ya good?” he murmured against your cheek, “Does it hurt?”

You shook your head. Piers pressed another gentle kiss to the corner of your mouth before he started to move.

Gentle rocking slowly grew to steady thrusting, and you were relishing every moment of it. Every time Piers slid all the way inside you made you moan, and the way his hands cupped your breasts and his mouth left fiery kisses on your jawline and your chest was overloading your senses. You began to buck your own hips to match Piers’ rhythm, and Piers’ voice joined with yours with moans as your nails dug into his shoulders.

You were very surprised to learn that Piers was a very vocal lover, as it turns out.

“Yer so good, baby,” he kept purring into your skin as his thrusting continued, “Ya feel _so_ incredible.”

You gasped as Piers lifted your hips a little higher, crying out as he hit a new spot altogether as he thrusted deep inside you amidst his own moans.

“Piers,” you moaned, reaching up and tangling your fingers in his black and white hair.

“Ya feel so _good_ , love,” he groaned into your chest as his mouth clasped down onto your swaying nipple once more.

The added stimulation was enough to add fuel to your fire. Your moans grew to cries as Piers’ thrusts grew more and more intense.

“Fuck,” you cried as you leant forward, pressing your mouth to his shoulder again and biting down to repress your loud cries.

Piers growled when your teeth made contact with his skin. He released your nipple and hoisted you even higher, pounding into you.

Your voice may have been muffled, but you couldn’t stop the moans and cries as Piers continued to pleasure you like you had never been pleasured before. You couldn’t stop yourself from smiling into his shoulder, never imagining that your sexual frustrated self from merely hours ago could ever make it this far.

Piers was massaging both of your breasts, his tongue hot on your neck when the surefire feeling of your orgasm started to build up again, growing rapidly with every thrust of his hips into yours.

“Piers,” you moaned, releasing your vicious hold on his shoulder to bring your lips to his neck, “Piers, I’m getting close.”

Piers moaned, pressing a quick kiss to your temple as his thrusts became faster and more irregular.

“M-me too,” he murmured hoarsely.

He leant down, giving your sensitive spot under your ear a lick.

“Cum for me,” he breathed, you inhaling sharply as he gave you another little nip in that same spot.

It was enough to send you over the edge. You could feel the pleasure rising, causing your toes to curl and your back to arch.

You cried out, almost screaming as the powerful force of your orgasm washed over you. You were practically seeing stars behind your tightly closed eyelids, and you held your breath to ensure that you rode this high for as long as you could.

At the same time, you felt Piers give one more solid thrust before crying out into your neck, breathing heavily as he held himself in place. He gave two more shaky thrusts before exhaling sharply, practically collapsing on top of you.

You opened your eyes, blinking in the darkness as your fingers came to lay on Piers’ hair. You gave the top of his head a few tender strokes before he shifted on top of you.

Piers propped himself up on his elbows, his eyes looking at you with a sleepy-like softness that you had never seen before.

“Hi,” you said, giving him a small smile.

“Hey,” he murmured back, returning your smile. He took your hand from the top of his head, giving your fingers a tender kiss before hoisting himself up.

You squeaked as you felt him pull himself out of you, the condom coated in your juices.

“Now for the fun part,” Piers muttered sarcastically, making you giggle as he pulled the condom off.

“Bathroom’s over there,” you told him, motioning to the other door in your small apartment.

Once Piers was off of you, you stood. Your legs were still shaky, and as you stretched, you were confident that this was probably the best sex you’d ever had. You turned on a lamp and pulled on your oversized t-shirt from before. You stifled a yawn as you turned down your blanket, about ready to crawl in and doze off.

Piers emerged from the washroom, already having pulled on his briefs, and you could really tell how exhausted he really looked when you turned to face him. His eyeliner had almost completely rubbed off, and the dark circles around his eyes were prominent in the lamplight as he approached you.

You tilted your head, and cupped his cheek in your hand as you examined him.

“What?” Piers asked you, his voice scratchy with exhaustion, “Somethin’ on my face?”

You smiled, and leaned in to press a gentle kiss to his cheek.

“You look really tired,” you said softly.

He said nothing, but sighed, leaning in to your touch and closing his eyes.

“Wanna spend the night?” you asked him gingerly, “It’s really late, so…”

But Piers nodded, his eyes blinking slowly as he looked at you.

“Sounds lovely,” he mumbled.

Thank goodness for your queen-sized bed. You sat on the edge of your mattress as Piers crawled under the covers, turning to switch your lamp off before you shuffled under the blankets to join him. You were suddenly very aware of how close Piers was to you as even now, his breathing grew heavy and more even. You were unable to stop yourself from rolling over to face him, admiring how his messy hair sprawled perfectly across his pillow, and how his nose slightly curved upward. It was cute.

You didn’t hesitate to lean forward, brushing a strand of white hair from Piers’ forehead to press a gentle kiss to his warm skin. You noticed how he sighed as you pulled away, and as you closed your eyes, you felt his hand reach for and brush against yours.

The next morning you woke up feeling relaxed and refreshed. All traces of yesterday’s irritation were gone, and you felt a wash of appreciation for the cause. You smiled as you rolled over, about to say good morning to him when your voice caught in your throat and your insides felt like they were turning to ice.

Your bed was empty, save for you.

You shot up, glancing around. The pillows on the couch were disheveled, and your clothes still laid in a pile on the floor, so what happened last night definitely happened. But as you got up and searched around, you could see no trace of Piers’ presence anywhere.

You grabbed your phone. No voicemails, no missed calls. Not even a text.

Tears blurred your vision as you threw your phone onto your bed. This was what you wanted though, wasn’t it? A steamy sexual encounter with no strings attached, no commitments or obligations to somebody else?

Then why did it still hurt so much as you crouched into a ball, clutching your knees to your chest as you started to cry?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh ho hO what do we have here
> 
> This is my first time writing anything even REMOTELY smutty, so if things are a little wonky I apologize! I'm always down for some constructive tips to help improve the quality of my stuff tho, so don't be shy about making a suggestion if you have one!
> 
> Also, still no internet at home, but our washing machine's crapped out on us so now I have an excuse to come to my in-laws more frequently. I can hopefully have the next chapter up by next weekend, so stick around~


	4. At Danger's Edge

A few more years passed by since you last saw the man who broke your heart. In a strange turn of fate, your work in the Vault led you to a position in the Hammerlocke Stadium as an overseer of Gym Battles, collecting data and analyzing the various wins and losses of the Gym Trainers in order to further improve their strategies for future use.

You were just wrapping up a report in your small office when there was a knock on the door. You swiveled your desk chair around to see the Hammerlocke Gym Leader, Raihan, standing at your door with his signature lazy grin on his face.

“Raihan!” You said, your voice surprised as you pushed your chair away from your desk, “I hope you’re not here for your latest match reports yet, I still haven’t seen the replay footage from this afternoon.”

Raihan waved his hand. “No worries,” he said, his deep voice warm, as always, “I actually just wanted to ask you something.”

You blinked. “Sure thing. What can I help you with?”

Raihan stepped into your office, and leaned against your desk.

“The Challenge Finals are coming up soon,” he said, “And I usually like to take a few different Gym employees along for the experience.”

You scratched your neck, frowning.

“I hope you’re not asking me to battle anyone,” you told the Gym Leader sternly. You didn’t mind watching Pokemon battles, but you were adamant that watching would be the closest you would get to participating in an actual battle. You much preferred to leave that task to the Gym Trainers.

Raihan smiled at you. “Don’t worry, you don’t have to participate. Only the Gym Leaders and Challengers who made it to the Semi-Finals will be battling.”

Your mouth twitched at the mention of the other Gym Leaders.

“I totally understand if you don’t want to,” Raihan was saying, but you doubt he really understood your reluctance, “but if I can convince you to come observe the matches and take notes, it would be really helpful in the small chance that I don’t finally kick Leon’s ass this year.”

You smiled, despite yourself. It would be an amazing experience, and just thinking of the data you could collect made your smile grow.

“Fine, I’ll come along this year,” you said. Raihan pumped his fist, but paused when you pointed your finger at him.

“But I expect to stay in the fanciest hotel and have all my meals paid for,” you warned him.

Raihan laughed, laying a massive hand on your shoulder.

“I wouldn’t have anything less for my team!”

Which is why, a few weeks later, you disembarked the train with Raihan and about 5 other Hammerlocke Stadium employees, stepping into the overcast Wyndon day with your suitcase in tow. Though this was your coworkers and your first time in Wyndon, you kept your eyes low as everyone else gaped and pointed at the sights. The less chance you had of running into a very specific Gym Leader while you were here, the better.

Crowds gathered, shouting their cheers and support as Raihan smiled and waved and posed for selfies with various people. You rolled your eyes as your coworker snickered next to you.

“We’ll never get to our hotel at this rate,” you muttered to him as you glanced up at the darkening sky. You’d accidentally forgotten your umbrella at home, and the last thing you wanted right now was to get rained on.

You brought your gaze down to land on the crowd, glazing over the excited faces to have your eyes land on the spectacular fountain in the middle of the Plaza. Your eyes grew wide in horror as you saw an all-too familiar head of black and white hair sitting by the fountain, and you quickly ducked behind your coworker.

“You alright?” he asked, frowning at you.

You swallowed, giving him a small nod. “Stage fright,” you squeaked out, thankful that your job allowed you to stay behind the scenes and give you this wonderful excuse whenever you needed it. And if that was all it would take to keep out of a particular line of sight, then you’d use it as many times as needed.

\--

The first of the Semi-Final matches were tomorrow, and though you were thankful to finally be in your hotel room, away from roaming icy blue eyes, your anxiety was spiking like crazy knowing that _he_ was here. Most likely in the same hotel as you.

You slapped your pillow over your face, groaning into the fabric. Why did you agree to coming to this stupid city?

“Hey,” a voice popped up.

You removed your pillow to glance at the other bed in the room. Your coworker, a sweet girl named Rosalyn, who worked on the Social Media Management team, was your bunk mate while you were trapped in Wyndon. She was looking over at you, her brown eyes concerned as she propped herself up on her elbows to look at you.

“I keep hearing you sighing,” she said, tilting her head at you, “Are you alright?”

You swallowed. Rosalyn was a really nice girl, and you figured that you could let her know what was going on. Save, of course, for a few crucial details.

“I think my ex is here,” you muttered, rolling over to rest on one side as you faced Rosalyn, “At the Finals.”

Rosalyn gasped. “Really? Are you sure?”

You nodded. “I think I saw him when Raihan was crowd-hyping by the fountain earlier,” you told her.

She gave you a sympathetic look. “How long were you two together?”

You blanched. “I, well…” you stammered as you fiddled with your sheets, “Okay, well… you see, we were never really _together_ —"

Rosalyn gasped again, smacking her palms against her duvet.

“Oh my Arceus, you had a one-night stand with him!”

You scowled. One of the perks of working with social media was knowing how to read people like a book, and you realized too late that Rosalyn had that art mastered to a T.

“Okay, fine,” you admitted irritably, “I slept with the guy.”

“Did he leave during the night without saying anything to you?”

You flipped over to your back, flopping on to your pillow dramatically. “How are you so _good_ at that?”

“Years of practice,” Rosalyn was sitting up now, her legs crossed, “So you banged this guy, and he ditched you in the middle of the night.”

You groaned again.

Rosalyn hesitated before speaking again.

“Did he… you know,” she put her hands in front of her stomach, “knock you up?”

You spluttered, kicking out your legs to fling yourself off your back.

“He did _not_ knock me up!” you whispered loudly at her, “It’s nothing like that!”

Rosalyn giggled at the look on your face. “Hey, I may be good, but I’m not _that_ good,” she said, leaning back on her hands.

You looked at her before sighing, rubbing your hands over your eyes and up, pulling your hair back from your face before letting it flop back again. You opened your mouth to say something, but you could only utter a quiet “I…” before falling silent again.

Rosalyn frowned slightly, watching you struggle before she spoke up again, her voice gentle in the darkness.

“You still have feelings for him,” she said, “don’t you?”

You inhaled sharply, but your voice wouldn’t form in your throat to deny her. You couldn’t deny the truth any longer. You bit your bottom lip and shut your eyes, silently begging the tears to stop forming. You’ve already wasted so many tears over this whole situation. You hung your head as your shoulders began to slightly shake.

Rosalyn got up and stepped over to your bed, sitting down next to you and taking your hands.

“I’m sorry, hun,” she said softly. She ran her small thumbs over your knuckles, “That’s really hard.”

You nodded, thankful that she didn’t press you for more information. The two of you sat there for a few moments before you took a deep breath and attempted to compose yourself.

“If you see him, and need to get away, just let me know,” said Rosalyn, looking at you with soft eyes, “I’ll make up an excuse for you whenever you need it, okay?”

You nodded again, wiping your eyes with your wrist.

Rosalyn patted your hand before reaching over and giving you a hug.

“You’ll be okay,” she said as she pulled back, standing up again, “We’re only here for a couple days, then you’ll be home free.”

You said nothing as she crawled back into her own bed, looking out the window at the distant city lights shining through the gauzy curtains.

\--

You arrived at the Rose Stadium early the next morning, a few hours before the first matches were scheduled to take place. The building itself was certainly unique, the curved walls expanding to the sky to replicate the flower for what it was named for. Personally, you didn’t much care for the design, finding it quite gaudy as you and your coworkers entered the building.

You all went your separate ways, as you were here for different reasons, but you were thankful Rosalyn stuck to your side. Since your position at Hammerlocke Stadium was technically unique, you had the   
choice to roam wherever you could do your job best, and since Rosalyn would be working close to the fields, helping to control the Rotom-drones and ensure they got the best shots, you figured that sticking close to her would give you the opportunity to get some close-up notes.

As you both walked down the busy hallway, you noted how the walls were lined with tapestries of the various Galarian Gym logos. You kept your eyes straight ahead as you passed the Dark Gym emblem, trying to pretend that the sharp teeth implied in the design weren’t snapping at you, tearing your heart into pieces.

Rosalyn stopped outside a door, flashing her Gym employee badge at the scanner until it flashed a green light and the door opened with a whoosh. You mimicked her movements, following close behind her as you both tread down the stairs to the employee’s only areas of the fields. You set up your laptop a little off to the side, sitting awkwardly as other Gym employees got ready to broadcast their live feeds to various social media platforms.

Rosalyn sat beside you. “You doing okay?” she asked you, resting her hand on your knee.

You nodded. In all honesty, you were too afraid to say something because you were afraid of puking if you opened your mouth.

“If he’s around, he won’t be able to get close,” you coworker tried to assure you, “It’s not like he could come on to the field.”

You wish you could tell her how wrong she was, opting for another nod and a raspy, “Yeah,” instead. Rosalyn, thinking that she’d helped, patted your knee before rising to say hi to a member of the Hilbury Gym.

You sighed as you opened a program on your laptop, making sure you were ready to select the Rotom-drone closest to Raihan when the time came to record his first battle. All you had to do was focus on your job, and you should be able to get through this no problem.

Within twenty minutes, the doors to the stands flew open and crowds began surging in, finding seats as loud voices and cheers called out. You couldn’t help but smile a bit as you watched the thousands of people find their spots. Normally you watched Raihan’s matches from behind the safety of walls and glass windows, cut off from the rest of the crowds. You’d never imagined how different it would feel to actually be among the people, feeling the rush they provided. You were never one to battle Pokemon, but you were starting to see why people loved to do it.

“Five minutes until the opening ceremony,” a tall man donning a Circhester uniform called out to you and your fellow Gym employees. You sighed again, pulling your shoulders back. Five minutes until you were forced to look at Piers again.

 _Just keep watching Raihan_ , you thought as you clenched your jaw, _just gotta keep watching Raihan._

Soon the stands were full to the brim, and the crowds began to chant.

Someone called out from behind you, and suddenly around 30 Rotom-drones took flight above your head, circling the field. You grimaced. _Guess it’s time…_

You released the breath you didn’t know you were holding when someone walked out onto the field. It was just Leon, the current Champion of Galar, He swung his arms wide, circling slowly as he beamed up at the screaming crowds surrounding him.

“Good morning, Galar region!” he called out, laughing as screams and cheers answered him.

You sighed with relief as Leon announced that the Semi-Finals will consist of the 3 remaining Challengers, and only 1 would proceed to the Finals, squaring off with the rest of the Gym Leaders to fight for the right to battle Leon himself, and challenge him for the unreachable title of Champion. You wouldn’t have to look at the man who broke your heart until this afternoon, but even just thinking about it made your stomach churn again. Now you had to live with this dread for longer than you’d hoped.

“Now then,” Leon was wrapping up his speech, “Let’s all have a Champion Time!” he shouted as he shot his hand into the air, to be answered with more intense screams as fireworks shot off high above everyone’s heads.

You closed your laptop, figuring that you wouldn’t actually be needing it until Raihan entered the field. You instead watched as two young teenagers strode onto the field. One, a boy who looked no older than 14, and the other, a young girl with black pigtails and striking icy blue eyes.

You narrowed your eyes at the girl. You hadn’t really been following the Gym Season, only when your job needed you to, and you recognized her from when she’d challenged Raihan to a battle and won. She was a fierce competitor, but you knew she would struggle against her opponent.

You recognized the boy from his battle with Raihan as well. He was a level-headed and quick-thinking battler, and you knew that the girl’s impulsive and abrupt battle style wouldn’t hold up against the boy’s knowledge of type weaknesses and advantages.

But as the battle began, you couldn’t stop yourself from staring at the girl. You knew you’d remembered her from the Gym, but there was something else about her that made you watch her intently. There was something oddly familiar about her, but you knew that was impossible – you didn’t know anything about her outside of her Gym experience in Hammerlocke.

Your original suspicions proved correct when the boy emerged victorious twenty minutes later, and the pigtailed girl hung her head as the stadium exploded with applause around her.

Suddenly you heard obnoxious horn toots and cheers come up from above you. You turned your head to look at the stands above, only to see a large group of leather-clad, spiky-haired punks donning pennants and banners of the Dark Gym logo and the girl’s stern face.

“We love ya, Marnie!” they screamed out, “Ya done Spikemuth proud!”

_Spikemuth?_

Your mouth ran dry at the sight of the enthusiastic crowd, swirling memories of when you weren’t much older than the girl standing in the field, watching a very similar crowd react in a very similar way for a shyly smiling boy standing on a stage who looked very… similar.

_Oh, my Arceus._

But the girl – Marnie – had already left the field by the time you turned back around.

“(Y/N),” you heard Rosalyn say. You turned to face her, your face still as stone as she frowned slightly at you, “Are you okay? You’re suddenly really pale.”

You blinked, snapping out of your trance-like state. You nodded at Rosalyn, giving her a not-too-convincing smile. “I’m fine,” you told her. You knew you weren’t, but you kept trying to convince yourself otherwise.

You toughed the rest of the morning out without much issue. The boy – Victor - continued to win against his opponents, to the crowd’s delight. He was joined on the field by Leon once his last opponent had left, who gave another speech about the progress Victor has made as a trainer and how he would be taking part in the afternoon’s Finals.

The jumbo screens surrounding the field lit up with an image of a tournament-style grid, with the Gym logos representing their Leaders as they fought to claim the Champion title. You sighed. Raihan’s match was first, and you noted bitterly that Piers would be battling third, against Kabu, the Fire-type Leader. You supposed you could bow out in time, and return for Raihan’s next battle, knowing that his competition, Milo the Grass-type specialist, didn’t overly stand a chance against Raihan’s dragon-types.

The afternoon went by in a blur. You were so focused on Raihan’s intense match, your eyes on your laptop screen watching instant and slow-motion replays of his battling tactics and making notes, that you completely lost track of time and missed the second battle with Nessa of Hilbury and Opal of the Fairy Gym in Ballonlea.

But you snapped to attention when the announcer broadcasted that the next match between Kabu and Piers was about to begin. You frantically looked around, but you froze when you saw the familiar black and white hair stride out onto the field. You couldn’t move, watching Piers as he approached the older Kabu in the center of the field to exchange a friendly challenge of words, and you almost panicked when Piers started walking to the side closest to you.

You nervously looked at your screen, trying fruitlessly to focus on your replays, but your heart was beating too loudly to concentrate. You snuck a glance up at the man standing merely yards away from you, his shoulders hunched forward. Your brow furrowed when you noticed that, ignoring your inner panic, that Piers looked absolutely worn to shreds. You thought he looked exhausted the last time you saw him, but that was nothing compared to how his eyes were almost squinting, surrounded by dark circles and how he swung his one arm up, giving his shoulder a rub.

His familiar accent rung in your mind, telling you that the years hadn’t treated you well when you saw him. You couldn’t help but smile a bit at the irony, and kept glancing up at him during the extent of his battle.

You never actually saw Piers battle before now, and you were surprised at how intense he actually was, all traces of exhaustion vanishing as he commanded his Pokemon with perfect rhythm and how he managed to hit Kabu’s Pokemon hard where it hurt. Even when Kabu Gigantamaxed his Centiskorch, the enormous centipede looming menacingly over him, Piers was perfectly in tune with his Obstagoon, leading it expertly to dodge Centiskorch’s explosive attacks and take it down without using Dynamax at all.

You were impressed with Piers’ win, and applauded a little, despite yourself.

Piers looked up at the crowd, barely smiling as the Rotom-drones circled him overhead. He gave a small wave to the crowd and about to take his leave when he lowered his gaze, and his blue eyes landed on you.

You froze when Piers made eye contact with you, and you could see his tired eyes grow wide. His mouth opened a little, but you remained expressionless. You didn’t break eye contact with him for what felt like hours, but after a few seconds you blinked and looked back down at your laptop screen.

You heard the cheers as Piers left the field, but you didn’t look up again, missing the way Piers had looked back at you before entering the tunnel leading to the locker rooms.

You exhaled once he was gone, not realizing that you were holding your breath the entire exchange. You tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, blinking a few times before chancing another upwards glance, relieved to see Victor and the Fighting-type expert Bea in the center of the field this time.

You brought your concentration back to your work once more. Your hands were still a little shaky as you typed, but you kept yourself distracted by watching your replays. Though, you couldn’t resist peeking upwards now and then to see the progress on the jumbo screen, watching Gym logos bounce left and right as winners emerged and the defeated stepped down.

The second round of the Finals had just begun. You steeled yourself once more as Piers wandered onto the field along with Raihan. Their battle began, and you could tell that it was going to be more intense than both their previous matches, with Piers technically being the second strongest Gym Leader in Galar right behind Raihan, even without using Dynamax.

You didn’t allow yourself to look up from your screen during their match, determined to keep yourself focused on the reason you were here: watching Raihan. It was your job, after all.

But you couldn’t resist peeking at the Rotom-drone that had its camera aimed at Piers. You could see his blue eyes blazing as he shouted directions to his Pokemon, and despite your complicated feelings for the man at the moment, it made your heart skip a beat as you watched his intense passion fuel his battling style. He was quick to take down Raihan’s Pokemon, which you couldn’t help but admit was very impressive.

But even Piers’ skills were no match for Raihan’s Gigantamaxed Duraludon. The force of its powerful Max Rockfall was enough to stir up a powerful gust of wind, and you gripped your laptop tight, squeezing your eyes tight as the dusty wind died down around you. When you opened your eyes and brushed the dust from your hair, you could see Piers’ Obstagoon fall to its knees, signifying Raihan’s solid victory. You clapped along with the crowd as Raihan and Piers met in the center of the field once more, but you paused as the two men turned to return to the locker rooms and Piers glanced your way once more.

Your face settled into the same expressionless look as before as you watched him leave, but your eyebrows twitched when he lifted his hand, giving you a subtle wave before he disappeared in the dark tunnel.

You frowned as you brought your attention back to your laptop, but your fingers didn’t move over the keys. Was Piers… happy to see you?

You huffed as you began typing. Who cares if he was happy to see you? It’s not like you cared what he thought.

Right?

\--

You and Rosalyn gaped as Raihan’s Duraludon shrunk back to its original size before it fainted. Victor’s Cinderace let out a proud roar as it shrunk as well, and Victor pumped his fist into the air as he beamed. He had once again beaten Raihan, and was on his way to challenging the Champion himself.

“I did not see that coming,” you heard Rosalyn say as you turned your wide eyes to face hers.

You let out a groan. “I’m gonna have my work cut out for me for the next few months, aren’t I?” you asked her.

Rosalyn laughed as the crowd screamed above you.

“The final match between Victor and Leon won’t take place until 7,” she said, glancing at her phone before standing and stretching, “Wanna go get some dinner or something?”

You didn’t realize how hungry you were until Rosalyn said that.

“Sounds delightful.”

\--

After a delightfully panic-free dinner with Rosalyn and your other coworkers, you decided to not join Rosalyn on the field again, opting instead for watching the Final Match from the safety of the Broadcast Tower overlooking the entirety of the field. You took your place by the thickly-paned window, grateful for the distance between you and the masses. Their cheers were a lot more muffled from where you were, and though being on the field was exhilarating, you much preferred the safety of being behind thick walls during a Pokemon battle. Especially a battle between the best Trainers in the entire region.

You gave the crowd a scan, noticing the Leader’s box directly across from where you stood. You could see Raihan sitting with his arms crossed, Nessa resting her hand on his shoulder and talking to him with a gentle expression on her face.

 _Probably trying to console the poor guy,_ you figured with a sad smile. You did feel bad for him, knowing how much this meant to him.

You continued to watch. Kabu and Melony were talking with Opal, and you saw Milo rest his large hand on Allister’s tiny shoulder. Bea stood just behind the two, her face stoic as ever. Gordie was sitting nearby on his phone, but your eyes landed on Piers once more. He was leaning against the wall of the box, apart from the other Leaders, and you didn’t miss how he wasn’t facing the field like everyone else.

You followed his gaze and realized he was looking over to the sectioned off part of the field where different Gym employees were deploying the Rotom-drones once more. Where he saw you sitting during his matches.

You inhaled. He must be looking for you.

You lifted your hand and rested it gingerly on the cool glass in front of you, letting out a sad little sigh as you watched Piers turn around dejectedly and sit behind everyone else. You thought about sending him a text, but you remembered that you’d deleted his number after… that night.

 _Remember that?_ A voice in the back of your head whispered to you _, remember how he just up and left you?_

 _Of course, I remember,_ you thought with a frown, _but why do I still want to talk to him so badly?_

 _You know why,_ the voice said sadly, _you’ve always known why._

You swallowed. You removed your hand as you noticed Victor and Leon coming onto the field below.

“Ready?” one of the broadcasters spoke up behind you, “Go in 3, 2, 1—”

And Leon’s voice sounded out from the speakers and his beaming face filled the monitors close by.

“What a turn of events!” he was saying, “and I, for one, am very curious to know how this day will end.”

“Pan to crowds,” someone said, and the image on the monitors was switched to a sweeping shot of the thousands of excited faces in the stands.

“I will admit, Victor—” the monitors returned to Leon as he clapped a hand to Victor’s shoulder, “I took quite a gamble with endorsing you to enter this Gym Season, and I’m more than pleased to see that my decision has paid off.”

Victor nodded his head, and Leon continued, waving his arm out to address the crowds.

“By the end of this match, the wonderful people of Galar could either retain their current Champion for another year—” loud cheers erupted in response – “Or witness the change of history as we crown a brand-new Champion for the first time in over a decade!”

You were very glad that you were behind protected walls, because you could feel the vibrations of the intense screams under your feet as the crowds shared their enthusiasm.

Leon removed his hand from Victor’s shoulder, said something to the boy in hushed tones before they both turned and walked to their respective sides of the playing field. You shifted your weight, feeling the crowd’s excitement as they turned to face the other.

Leon was about to throw his cape to the side when the field was suddenly doused in a red light.

“What the hell is this?”

You quickly turned to see the employees behind you panic as they lost their feeds.

“What happened?!”

“Power surge?”

“Someone get these damn computers back online!”

“Wait—”

You looked over the shoulders of others crowded around a monitor as Chairman Rose’s face filled the screen. He filled all the screens in the room, and the enormous screens surrounding the field.

Rose smiled calmly as he began to speak.

“I am truly sorry it had to come to this, Leon,” he was saying, his voice smooth, “but you refused to listen to reason. Though you may be cautious with destiny, know that I am not. I know I am destined to become great, and your feeble attempts to stop me from achieving my goals were nothing more than trivial distractions.”

You ran to the window, pressing your hands to the glass as Rose continued to speak.

“I know that I can ensure Galar remains great for all eternity, Leon. All I have to do bring forth the Darkest Day, and once we have that much energy contained, Galar will continue to be a utopia for millennia to come.”

You couldn’t believe what you were hearing. Did Rose just say the Darkest Day? AKA one of the most horrific events to ever happen in the history of Galar?

As if to answer you, the ground began to rumble and you cried out, covering your eyes as a flash of bright red light illuminated the playing field. A pillar of light was erupting from the quaking ground, and you gasped as it expanded, engulfing the crowd. People were screaming as they tried to escape the light, and your eyes grew wide as you noticed a few Pokemon in the stands were beginning to Dynamax as if out of the blue.

“We need to leave!” someone cried out. “Head for the emergency exits! Get those people out of there!”

A hand grabbed your arm; an employee began leading you out of the room, hurriedly explaining how to leave.

“Go down the hall and leave through the first staircase on your left!” He was yelling as you were shoved into the swarming crowds running through the hall.

You cried out as people shoved their way past you in a panic. You couldn’t leave – Rosalyn was probably still trapped down on the field with those Dynamaxed Pokemon!

Instead of following directions, you started pushing against the crowds, fighting to make your way down the stairs to the field. You approached the door leading to where you wanted to go, weaving through hordes of people to get across to the badge scanner on the wall. You jammed your employee badge to the scanner, the door whooshing open with a hot gust of wind. You shielded your face with your fist and leapt down the stairs. You had no idea what you were doing, but your friend was down here and you needed to help her get outside where it was safer.

“Rosalyn!” you cried out as you burst onto the field. A Dynamaxed Meowth and a Corvisquire were caught in a battle of their own, the Corvisquire stirring up intense winds around you.

“(Y/N)!” you heard her scream as she ran towards you.

“The door is open!” You yelled at her, “Get everyone out of here!”

She nodded, giving your hands a squeeze before calling to the other employees cowering by the wall. They started running up the stairs, Rosalyn about to run when she turned and screamed your name.

You whipped around to where she was looking and froze as the Meowth towered over you. One of Corvisquire’s attacks caused the Meowth to lose its balance, and you dove to the side to avoid getting crushed. But the Meowth’s giant paw landed on the stands above the stairs, causing the ceiling above the staircase to cave in.

You screamed Rosalyn’s name until your throat stung, skirting around the Meowth until you came to where the staircase entrance used to be.

“I’m okay!” You heard Rosalyn’s muffled voice cry out from behind the rubble, “But it’s completely blocked!”

“Just go find an exit!” you yelled at her, “I’ll be okay! I’ll meet you outside!”

You didn’t stop to hear if she responded before the Meowth stirred. Its eyes opened with a primal fury and it leapt to its feet to tackle the Corvisquire. You kept your back to the wall, watching in horror as the Corvisquire’s back hit the stands on the other side of the stadium, completely destroying everything in its path.

Your eyes fell on the tunnel to the locker rooms, about a hundred yards away. It was still intact, but you’d have to be fast to make it before the Meowth noticed you. You swallowed, taking a few hesitant steps towards what might be your only escape.

But the Meowth turned when it sensed your movement, letting out an angry roar as it faced you. You were terrified, unsure if you were going to make it.

The Meowth raised a paw, about to swipe down towards you. You collapsed, letting out a scream as you brought your arms up to shield your face, despite knowing that it was useless. You were going to die here.

_“Goon! Use Obstruct!”_

You opened your eyes when a voice yelled out, and cried out when a large, hairy, bipedal thing jumped in-between you and the Meowth with its arms crossed. A flash of light forced you to close your eyes, a shockwave sending you tumbling back a few feet. You opened your eyes to see the force of whatever just happened cause the Meowth to fall over backwards as well.

You gaped as suddenly a gloved hand reached for you.

“C’mon!”

You blinked. It was Piers. His eyes were wide and his pale skin was streaked with dust, but he was here.

“(Y/N)! Wake _up_!” he cried out, shaking his hand at you, “We gotta move!”

The Meowth began to stir as you snapped to attention. You grabbed Piers’ hand and he hoisted you to your feet, and the two of you began to run. His hand was tight around yours as the blood roared in your ears, you gasping in the dusty air as you approached the safety of the locker room tunnel.

The Meowth let out another frustrated roar as it scrambled to its feet, lunging towards you once more. You screamed as Piers’ Obstagoon jumped at the Dynamaxed beast, using its Obstruct once again to protect you and its master.

The force was enough to cause you to lose your balance once more. Piers grabbed you, pulling you close and shielding your body with his as the two of you crashed to the hard floor. You skidded a few feet as the entrance to the tunnel collapsed with the weight of the Dynamaxed Pokemon landing on top of it, plunging your surroundings into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're gonna be following the plot of sword and shield here very briefly, though I am going to be taking some creative liberties and spicing things up, because I CAN. For the DRAMA. Yes.
> 
> I... am not great at writing anything that isn't dialogue, I'm going to be completely honest here. I hope y'all enjoy this chapter regardless!


	5. At the End of the Line

You couldn’t stop the sobs from shaking your shoulders, not moving the darkness of the tunnel looming around you. You had never been so scared in your entire life. You honestly thought you weren’t going to survive, until—

Suddenly you heard a groan and lean arms tightened around you. It made your breath catch when a hand came to rest on the back of your head. You glanced up to see Piers’ eyes opened, squinting in the dark.

“(Y/N)?” he asked hoarsely.

But you hoisted yourself out of his hold, shifting your body away from his. Although you were grateful that Piers showed up when he did, you were not in the right place to deal with your complicated feelings for the man right now. Between a lunatic bringing forth the end of the word around you and being trapped in a dark tunnel with the one person you didn’t even want to be in the same city with, you were more than a little stressed at the moment.

Piers pushed himself onto his knees.

“Hey—” he said softly, reaching for you.

But you scooted even further away from him, not looking him in the eyes as your tears continued to leave streaks on your dirty cheeks.

You heard Piers sigh before he rose to his feet with a groan. He tapped your shoulder with the back of his hand, making you flinch.

“We gotta keep movin’,” he said quietly, his voice scratchy, “C’mon.”

You looked up to see him offering his hand to you again, but you brushed it aside with your own as you shakily stood. You still didn’t look at him as he called his stunned Obstagoon back into its Pokeball before leading you down the dark tunnel.

The glass doors dividing the tunnel from the locker rooms were shattered in the force of the Dynamaxed Meowth’s fall, and you and Piers stepped through the panes carefully. The ground’s shaking had paused, much to your relief, but the locker room was just as dark as the tunnel you’d just left behind. It was oddly quiet, but a distant rumbling assured you that the chaos outside hadn’t ceased.

Piers strode over to the doors out to the hall, but they didn’t open. He gave the handles a jiggle, letting out a frustrated noise as he stepped back and swung his foot, his boot making a loud noise against the metal, but the door still didn’t budge.

Piers swore as he kicked the door once more.

“Fuckin’ electronic doors,” he muttered, brushing his long fringe out of his face, “Power’s out.”

You tried holding your employee card to the scanner in hope that there was a backup battery, but nothing happened.

You swallowed, leaning back until your back hit the wall and you slid down, the tears flowing down your cheeks once more as you brought your knees to your chin.

Piers gave the metal doors one last kick before he gave a frustrated sigh, and sat down not too far from you.

You reached behind you and pulled out your phone, but was dismayed to see the screen shattered. You must’ve landed on it when Obstagoon’s defensive shockwave sent you flying backwards. It wouldn’t even turn on.

You gripped it tight when Piers started to speak.

“(Y/N)—”

“Don’t,” You stopped him with your sharp tone, “Don’t say anything.”

Piers looked at you, but you avoided his eyes, staring at the floor in front of you. It was silent for a moment before Piers spoke again, almost quiet enough for you to not hear him.

“It’s nice t’see ya again.”

“Oh, just stop it,” you cried out, making him jump, “Stop trying to act like nothing is wrong!”

Piers frowned at you. “I never said nothin’ was wrong—”

“Piers, we’re trapped in a locker room while Dynamaxed Pokemon are running loose and the Darkest Day is mere moments from destroying everything we know! Things are _very_ wrong right now!”

You didn’t even bother controlling yourself, your voice growing louder with each word until you were practically shouting.

“I should have never agreed to coming here!” you cried, “I should’ve just stayed home, where I would be safe from this!”

“Safe from what?” Piers was leaning forward now, his eyes blazing in the darkness, “Cuz last I checked, every Dynamax spot across Galar is lit up like a fuckin’ Delfest tree right now! Nowhere would be safe from this!”

“Well at least I would be safe from _you!_ ”

You froze, clamping your jaw shut as Piers’ eyes grew wide.

“Me?” his voice was low, “What do you mean, safe from me?”

You balled your hands into fists.

“Don’t even pretend like you don’t know what I’m talking about,” you whispered, fresh tears forming in your eyes, “Don’t you have any idea of what you’ve done?”

Piers’ eyes narrowed as you spoke.

“Help me understand, then.”

“You _left_!” You shrieked, jumping to your feet and using all your strength to hurl your broken phone across the room, “You just up and left! After I poured my heart out, after we—”

But the words got all choked up in your throat, and you gasped back sobs as you started to pace across the hard floor.

“After I told you – s-showed you – how I felt about you, how much I _cared_ about you. You just… left me behind!”

You paused your pacing, finally facing Piers head on, tears pouring out of your eyes.

“How could you just leave me like that?” you asked him, your voice breaking as much as your heart, “How could you just go, without even a single word? Do you have any idea how badly that hurt me?”

Piers said nothing, his head in his hands and his face hidden behind his bangs as you stared at him.

You sat on a bench, having finally said what’s been weighing yourself down for the past few years, but you didn’t feel any lighter.

Piers remained silent as you drew your knees in again. Every second that went by without him saying anything seemed to drag on forever. You rested your forehead on your arms and closed your eyes, finally calming yourself down enough to stop your tears.

“I need ya t’ understand somethin’…”

You looked up at the sound of Piers’ voice, but he was still hidden behind his fringe.

“I get why yer upset with me,” he said slowly, “and I honestly think I deserve every ounce of yer anger.”

You frowned at him. Piers finally looked up, and you were surprised to see tears slowly fall down his cheek.

“My life’s not exactly perfect,” he said quietly, “I took the role of Gym Leader to help pay for food and rent, cuz music may be my passion, but it wasn’t doin’ much for me and my little sister.”

You blinked at the mention of a sister. Piers wiped his cheek with his sleeve. “I knew it was a huge responsibility, an’ I thought I could handle it. But between the Gym, an’ the League itself, an’ my sister, while tryin’ to keep a career in music goin’ at the same time,” he let out a sigh, “addin’ you to the mix would’ve just been too much.”

He combed his fingers through his hair as he continued, “Jus’ the thought of gettin’ involved in a relationship at that time was too overwhelmin’ for me. An’ I know I shouldn’t’ve led you on like I did, but you were jus’ so… hard to resist. It was like I was drawn t’ya.”

You remained silent as Piers sighed once more, lifting up his head to look you in the eyes.

“I may have a lot of regrets, (Y/N),” he whispered, “Leavin’ ya like I did is probably the biggest regret I’ll ever have. But please understand, I don’t regret that night with you at all. Not even for a second. In fact,” he added, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, “that was probably the last time I felt so at peace with myself. I’ve only ever felt that way when I’m around you.”

He swallowed before he opened his mouth once more.

“I really hurt ya, (Y/N), and you have every right to hate me for it,” he brought his eyes down once more, “I was stupid, an’ selfish, an’ if you can never forgive me, well… I get it. But I hope you can believe when I say I’m sorry,” he finished, sadly, “I’m so, so sorry for doin’ you dirty like that. Ya deserve so much better.”

You rose to your feet, taking careful steps before kneeling in front of Piers. He looked up at you over his arms, his eyes filled with many emotions. You felt like your heart was storming in the same way, filled with pain, with anger, hope, sadness… and that softness you hadn’t seen in years.

“I could never hate you.”

You looked down at the ground between you and Piers as you spoke, your voice barely above a whisper.

“Know what the absolute worst thing about this whole ordeal was?” You asked, glancing up at Piers’ face. His brows furrowed as he looked at you quizzically.

You swallowed.

“Even after you ripped out my heart…”

Piers flinched, but you pressed on.

“…I never stopped caring about you.”

Wide blue eyes met yours.

“Y-yeah?”

You shuffled over to sit next to him, your shoulder barely grazing his, and you laid your palms on the dusty floor. You avoided looking at him, keeping your eyes on the patch of ground in front of you.

“Yeah,” you mumbled, “It drives me insane, actually.”

Piers exhaled with amusement, and the heavy tension in the room seemed to be lifting. You even found it easier to breathe, despite of how dusty the air was.

“Fer what it’s worth,” you heard Piers mumble beside you, “I still really care about you, too.”

He laid his hand on the ground next to you, and tentatively extended his pinky out to gently brush yours. You smiled a little at the contact, but didn’t move yourself.

Piers cleared his throat. “If we end up survivin’ this shitstorm,” he said, his voice a little shaky, “maybe you an’ I… can try again? Start fresh?”

You looked at him, your face expressionless. He glanced at you, his face betraying how apprehensive he was of your answer.

You glanced down at the ground once more, your mouth a thin line.

“Weren’t you just saying how adding me to your mix would be too much?” you muttered, a bitter edge to your voice making you frown, “How can I believe you this time if the circumstances are the same as before?”

Piers frowned too. “Ya don’t know…?” he asked, his voice trailing off.

You looked at him again, confusion written all over your face at his words.

Piers looked at you for a moment before realization dawned on his face.

“Ya don’t know!” he exclaimed, his eyes shining.

Your frown deepened.

“Thank you for clarifying that.”

“(Y/N),” Piers leaned forward, leaning an elbow on his knee to look at you, “I’m retirin’ from the Gym this year.”

You froze.

“What?”

“I’m retirin’,” Piers repeated, “I’m done with hagglin’ with the Pokemon League, an’ I’m gonna be handin’ the reigns over to my sister so I can start havin’ more time for music…”

He lifted his hand from the floor and hesitated a moment before he gently laid it over yours.

“…and more time for the people I care about.”

You look from your hands to Piers’ face, your eyes growing wide.

“You really mean it…?” you muttered, not daring to raise your voice.

Piers gave you a small nod, his eyes boring into yours with earnest.

“Swear on my life,” he said.

Suddenly a loud boom echoed from outside, shaking the locker room you were trapped in and making dust fall from the ceiling. You cried out, covering your head to protect yourself from any falling debris. Piers shot to his feet, reaching for one of his Pokeballs at his hip.

“We gotta get the hell outta here,” he said loudly. He reached down and offered his gloved hand to you once more.

“C’mon,” he said, his voice gentle as he held his hand out to you.

This time, you took it with a small, grateful smile.

Another boom erupted, causing another small quake that made you lose your balance. You stumbled into Piers’ side, where his arm snuck around and wrapped around your shoulders, keeping you there.

“Hang tight for a sec,” he said to you, his blue eyes shining despite the bleary darkness surrounding you, “It’s about t’ get real loud.”

And a few moments later, Piers’ Scrafty hit the metal doors headfirst with a _bang_ , bursting through them as if the metal panels were made of paper.

Coughing in the sudden cloud of dust, you and Piers evacuated the locker room. You both glanced up and down the long hallway before Piers grabbed your hand again, called out “This way!” and began leading you up one direction.

“I sincerely hope you know your way around here,” you said to Piers between pants as you ran.

“’Course I do,” Piers replied, giving you a look over his shoulder, “I’ve been unwillin’ly dragged out here every year for the past 7 years, I’d better know how t’ navigate through this damn stadium.”

But he spoke too soon as you turned a corner, only to be met with a crumbling wall.

Piers swore and was about to turn around when you cried out.

“Scrafty! Use your Headbutt!”

Piers’ Scrafty grinned at you and threw itself at the wall with no hesitation, bursting through and creating a hole big enough for you and Piers to slip through.

Piers laughed. “Ya really are a rebel,” he said almost proudly as he looked at you. Your heart swelled at him recalling the memory of the two of you tipsily wandering through the Hammerlocke streets many years ago.

You grinned back. “Must be why you like me so much.”

You didn’t wait to see his response before you followed Scrafty through the hole to the other side. You blinked at how bright it was compared to where you were just trapped, and gasped when you saw that you had broken into the main lobby of the stadium, the warm light of the sunset shining through the glass doors only yards away.

“The doors!” you cried out as Piers shimmied his way through the wall. You reached for his hand and you both began to run for the doors, Scrafty quick at your heels, as another earthquake began to rumble. The shaking caused you to lose your footing and you tripped, falling with a sharp cry of pain.

Piers froze when you released his hand and was at your side in an instant, already hoisting your arm over his shoulder to help you back on your feet.

“Ya good?” he asked, his eyes wide, “Does it hurt?”

You tried to stand, but let out a hiss through your teeth at the pain that shot through your leg.

“I think I sprained something,” you said with a grimace.

You turned to look at Piers, gripping his hand with yours.

“You need to get out of here,” you said to him.

Piers scoffed. “Like hell I’m leavin’ ya behind in this mess.”

“I’ll just slow you down!” You tried pulling yourself away from him, but his grip remained firm. “Please, Piers, you need to go find your sis—”

_“I’m not leavin’ ya again!”_

Piers’ shout stunned you. Even the earthquake seemed to still as Piers grabbed your upper arms and held you in front of him, his eyes searching yours frantically.

“I’m not leavin’ ya again,” he repeated, more quietly this time, “I…I can’t.”

You swallowed, your eyes not leaving his as the seconds ticked by. After a moment, you give him a tiny nod.

“Okay,” you squeaked.

Piers clenched his jaw before his eyes glanced to the doors. He almost looked ashamed of his little outburst.

“Ya can’t walk very far…”

“And don’t even think about carrying me,” you said to him, “I still have to regain some dignity after all this.”

Piers chuckled a bit before turning around and bending his knees.

“What about a piggy-back?”

You sighed before you gently laid your hands on Piers’ narrow shoulders.

“I suppose it’ll have to do.”

What took you by surprise, though, was Piers’ swiftness in scooping you up from behind and standing up with you firmly in his grip. You squeaked as you lurched forward, your arms quickly wrapping around his neck. You were suddenly very aware at how close you were to him, and how you could still make out the faded scent of his cologne that you've grown so familiar with.

“Hold on,” Piers said to you before he started making his way toward the doors. You didn’t loosen your grip around his neck as he took long strides towards the exit. You also had to fight the sudden urge to bury your face in his long hair, so instead you held your head as far away as you could lean without completely throwing off Piers’ balance.

Unfortunately for you, Piers almost stumbled to the right as you tried to lean further away from him. He shifted your weight over, almost causing you to completely tip.

“What’re ya doin’ back there?” he asked exasperatedly, “Just stay still.”

So you literally swallowed your pride and lightly rested your chin against Piers’ shoulder as he jogged across the expansive lobby.

You were fortunate enough to avoid another earthquake as the two of you burst from the stadium into the bright light of the sunset. Blinking in the change of light levels, you scanned the area as Piers began to descend the stairs. Small groups of people were gathered around the front plaza of the stadium, with gym employees keeping them away from the stairs. Voices called out as you and Piers approached, but you barely heard what they were saying as your eyes skimmed over the unfamiliar faces. Rosalyn and your other coworkers weren’t here.

You slowly blinked, giving a start as Piers nudged you with his shoulder to get your attention.

“Huh?” you asked, having completely missed what the employee standing in front of you was saying to Piers.

Piers sighed. “I’ll take ‘er, don’ worry,” he said to the employee looking at you with concern. 

And you were off again. Piers walked past the small crowds who were watching one of their gym leaders cart some person off through the streets of Wyndon.

You couldn’t help but notice that the sky was an unusual tinge of red, barely stifling a yawn as Piers carried you to who knows where.

“Where’re we going?” you asked him sleepily, resting your cheek against his shoulder.

Piers glanced over at you to give you a small smile. “Pokecenter in the centre of town,” he told you, “The one closest to the stadium is at max capacity, an’ they don’t want more people in there if there’s another Dynamax wave.”

You frowned. “Is that what that rumbling was?”

Piers nodded as he turned a corner, striding past iron gates and garden-lined fences. “They said the waves have been slowin’ down, but they aren’t completely gone yet.”

You hum in response, but closed your eyes. Piers’ steady pace was enough to almost rock you to sleep on his back. As if he could tell that you were about to doze off, he shifted your weight once more.

“Don’tcha go fallin’ asleep on me,” Piers said, his warm tone betraying his stern warning, “I don’t wanna be carryin’ too much dead weight.”

“I’ll show you dead weight,” you retorted, but your sassy comment was cut short by another yawn.

Piers chuckled, but carried on without another word. You tried to stay awake by watching your surroundings, and suddenly remembered something that you’ve been wondering.

“Hey, Piers,” you began.

“Hm?”

“This might sound weird,” you paused, but pushed on, “That one Gym Challenger – Marnie – she’s your sister, isn’t she?”

Piers laughed through his nose.

“Ya can tell that easy?” he asked you, glancing at you again.

You give him a small smile. “I mean, the obnoxious crowd following her around is a little bit of a giveaway.”

Piers smiled, but didn’t say anything.

You noticed that his jaw was clenched, and picked your words carefully before continuing.

“I can see a lot of you in her, actually.”

Piers laughed out loud at that.

“Jus’ don’t tell her that, she’d never forgive ya.”

You smiled. The two of you carried on in silence for a moment before you squeezed your arms a little tighter around his shoulders and neck in an awkward little embrace.

“I’m sure she’s fine,” you murmured, resting your cheek against Piers’ neck, “she’s a tough cookie.”

Piers sighed. “I know she is,” he said quietly, “She’s always been a fighter.”

But he tilted his head, pressing his cheek against your temple in assurance and gratitude before continuing to make his way towards the Pokemon Centre in Wyndon’s center plaza.

The next thing you knew, Piers had come to a stop and was lowering you to the ground. You kept your weight off of your sprained ankle, leaning on Piers for support. The door to the Pokemon Center opened with a _whoosh,_ and a short person with large watery Deerling eyes came running out, her arms reaching for you.

“(Y/N)!” Rosalyn cried as she almost threw her arms around you, but was stopped by Piers’ extended hand.

“Her ankle’s messed up,” Piers explained, passing you gently into Rosalyn’s arms, “Get some ice on it ASAP, and make sure she’s had some food and water.”

You frowned, looking at Piers as he suddenly took two steps backwards.

“What are you doing?” you asked him, “You should be getting looked at, too!”

“I have to go find Marnie,” Piers said, his brows furrowed, “I need to make sure she’s okay.”

“(Y/N),” Rosalyn murmured, but you pulled yourself out of her hold and hobbled towards Piers.

“You can’t go out there by yourself! What if there’s another wave?”

“I’m still a fully recognized gym leader! I got my whole team with me!” Piers said loudly, “An’ I fer sure ain’t takin’ ya with me! You need to get in that Center and have a nurse check out yer ankle!”

“I can’t just sit around waiting for you—”

“Well, ya don’t have much of a choice right now!”

_“You can’t leave me again!”_

You startled yourself with your shrill tone, and Piers looked at you with wide eyes.

“R-remember?” you asked, your voice shaking, “You said so yourself, not too long ago.”

Piers stared at you for a moment before stepping forward once more. You barely had time to gasp before he had his arms around your waist and his lips on yours, kissing you fervently.

You closed your eyes and held him close, your arms wrapping around his neck. Feeling his lips on yours again was enough to make your heart sing. You didn’t realize how much you had missed this; had missed _Piers_. You felt your tears start to drip down your cheeks as Piers gently pulled away. He looked at you so tenderly that it made you want to cry even more. You felt his hand cup your cheek, and as he wiped your tears with his thumb, you realized that, even after all this time, you still loved him with every fibre of your being. You always have; you were just too stubborn to admit it.

“I have to leave,” he whispered hoarsely.

You lift your hand to keep his pressed against your cheek, giving him a tiny nod.

“I know.”

“But I’ll be back,” he said with earnest, “Swear on my life.”

You leaned in once more, pressing one more kiss to his lips before you pulled yourself out of his hold.

“Go find Marnie,” you told him, your voice almost lost in the wind.

Piers looked at you for a moment longer before he turned and started to run towards the east, his long ponytail whipping behind him.

You wiped your eyes before turning back towards Rosalyn, who had been watching the whole thing with eyes like saucers.

“Oh, honey,” she said, holding her arms out to offer support, “Let’s get you inside.”

You nodded, leaning on her as the two of you slowly make your way to the sliding doors.

“I have to ask, though,” Rosalyn piped up before you entered the building, “The guy you were talking about last night- it was Piers, wasn’t it?”

Was that really last night? It felt like an eternity ago.

You shrugged one shoulder, making an indifferent noise in your throat.

“Oh. My Arceus.” Rosalyn gaped as the doors whooshed shut behind you, “You have so much explaining to do.”

\--

Thankfully, Rosalyn didn’t pry you for information about Piers’ and your relationship. Instead, once the nurse was done checking you over and gave you an ice pack for your ankle, she helped you find an available sofa to sit on and relax. Once you were comfortable, she got up to fetch you some water and something to eat from a nearby vending machine.

Your attention was drawn to a tv screen hanging from the wall, where the local news channel was relaying information about the reducing Dynamax waves. The screen changed to live footage outside of Hammerlocke Stadium, where ferocious red clouds were storming ahead.

You blinked and leant forward when the news anchor was approached by a tired looking and battle-worn Raihan, who still managed to give a relaxing smile as he kept the anchor updated on the events happening at the stadium. Your weary eyes couldn’t keep up with the subtitles blitzing along the bottom of the screen, so you turned your attention to Rosalyn when she approached with your snack.

“When did Raihan get back to Hammerlocke?” you asked her as you gratefully accepted the water bottle and granola bar she was offering you.

“He left as soon as everyone was out of Rose Stadium,” she explained as you tore into your bar, “He was lucky too – almost as soon as he left, they grounded all Flying Taxi’s for the time being.”

You nodded as you chewed. “So what’s goin’ on over there?” you asked, tilting your head towards the television.

Rosalyn looked to the tv with a slight frown. “The Chairman was trying to contain the raw energy from the source of the Wishing Stars in order to power all of Galar from inside the Power Plant underneath the stadium.”

You swallowed, almost coughing as you gawk. “The _source?_ ”

“Apparently it’s a Pokemon,” Rosalyn said, still frowning, “but Raihan’s not really giving up much information about what’s going on. The Champion’s been in there the whole time, and not long after Raihan got there, apparently Victor and Leon’s younger brother snuck in to help.”

_“What?!”_

Rosalyn threw up her hands in a shrug. “That’s as much as I got!”

You slumped against the back of the couch, sighing.

“What a shitshow this turned out to be.”

Rosalyn laughed, reaching over and brushing a strand of your hair out of your tired eyes.

“There’s nothing we can do from here,” she said gently, “Have some water, and you should probably rest. You look exhausted.”

You nodded, unable to stop a yawn that crept up on you, seemingly determined to prove your friend right.

\--

“Is she alright?” a velvet-soft voice spoke.

“Yeah, she’s fine,” another voice – one scratchy and deeper – responded, “Jus’ tired.”

“Poor thing. What a stressful day for her.”

You stir slightly as the quiet voices drew you from your nap. A quiet “oh” sounded out from above you.

“I think we’re waking (Y/N) up,” the softer voice said.

You groan a little, shifting as the other voice spoke again.

“How long has she been out?”

“Not long enough,” you mumbled, your voice thick with sleep.

Your pillow shook with laughter, causing you to blink your eyes open. It was too bright, and you had to squint before you could tell where you were and what was going on. Your pillow turned out to be Rosalyn’s thigh, and as you propped yourself up on your elbows you scanned your surroundings, you suddenly remembered why you were in a Pokemon Center instead of in your own bed.

Your gaze returned to directly in front of you. You jolted when you saw Piers crouching beside the sofa, his face not far from yours with a warm smile and his blue eyes exhausted but shining.

“Mornin’, sleepy-head,” he whispered, reaching to push your hair out of your eyes. He leant forward and pressed a feather-light kiss to your forehead.

You blinked, taking a few seconds to realize that Piers was back. This wasn’t a hallucination. He was back and right in front of you. He was _here._ He looked tired and his pale skin was smeared with dust and dirt and his hair was more unruly than usual but he was _here._

You scrambled to a sitting position and threw your arms around Piers’ neck.

“You came back,” you whispered, your voice still hoarse from your nap.

You felt his shoulders vibrate with a chuckle as he hugged you back. “Toldja I would,” he said quietly.

You stayed in your embrace for a few moments before you pulled back. You noticed another body curled up on the sofa next to Rosalyn – a young girl with black hair, asleep under Piers’ dirt-streaked jacket.

“You found her,” you said to Piers, smiling.

He smiled back. “I did,” he said, leaning back to look over his little sister as she slept, “It didn’t take me long, but we had a helluva time tryin’ to make our way back here, what with the couple-a Dynamaxed Pokemon that were still on the loose. We only came in about 20 minutes ago.”

Your face twitched into a slight frown as you turned to face Rosalyn.

“How long was I asleep?”

“A couple of hours,” she said. She gave your hand a squeeze before standing, “which is why I’m glad you’re awake now, because I really need to use the loo.”

You rolled your eyes as she shimmied past you and Piers, shooting you a wink before she walked away.

“She’d better not be telling you secrets about me,” you told Piers with a scowl.

He chuckled, and sat down in the spot Rosalyn was just occupying on the sofa. “Nothin’ I don’t already know.”

You huffed before shuffling your position so you were nestled into Piers’ side and resting your head on his shoulder. He laid his cheek on the top of your head and intertwined his fingers with yours, giving your hand a reassuring squeeze.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” you murmured.

You felt his head turn and his lips press into your hair.

“Me too,” he said simply.

Rosalyn returned a few moments later to find you and Piers leaning against each other, both dozing off. She smiled as she sat on the floor beside your legs, not missing the way Piers’ arm had snuck its way around your waist, holding your body close to his as you slept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> owo what's this? 
> 
> I kinda had a revelation the other day, thinking "Man, I don't technically h a v e to upload only one chapter at a time when we have internet access" So I'm giving you the rest of the fic tonight!
> 
> This is technically the last chapter, but I do have a shorter epilogue coming up next! I can't tell you how much I appreciate the kudos and your wonderful comments, I honestly thought no one would care about my self-indulgent nonsense. I love you all <33


	6. At Long Last

You tucked your hair behind your ear as you dug through your desk. You pulled out a few more of your belongings and placed them into the half-full box on the floor next to you.

“I still can’t believe that this was your last day,” Rosalyn’s voice caught your attention, and you looked up to see your best friend swaying back and forth on your desk chair, “Who am I supposed to gossip with on lunch breaks now?”

“It’s not like I’m going very far,” you assured her as you grabbed another binder from the drawer before nudging it closed, “The Vaults are just around the corner, and that new café just opened up nearby so you have an even better excuse to come see me.”

“True!” Rosalyn smiled at you.

“I was never really cut out for Pokemon gym work, anyways,” you pointed out as you closed the flaps of the box beside you, “I’m much more partial to working behind the scenes surrounded by books rather than people.

“And besides,” you added, pushing yourself to your feet and turning to face Rosalyn with a smile, “you’ll be so much better at this than I ever was.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that,” Rosalyn said cheekily, “I am, as they call, hella observant.”

You laughed as you picked up your last box, holding it under your arm. “You certainly are the extrovert in our relationship.”

“And yet somehow the introverted one is the one who ended up with a famous rock star lover,” Rosalyn looked at you pointedly, “Speaking of whom, don’t you have somewhere you need to be?”

You glanced at the clock hanging on the wall and blinked.

“Ahh, I’ve got some time,” you shrugged, grinning at your friend, “Fancy taking a stroll and helping me pick out an outfit that will blow Piers’ mind?”

Rosalyn pushed herself off her chair and beamed.

“Abso-heckin-lutely.”

A couple of hours later found you closing the door to your Flying Taxi cab and bracing yourself for the lurch that always came when it took off. You watched as Hammerlocke spread below you, admiring how beautiful the city you called home was. You flew past the ancient castle where the Gym resides, and noted how quickly repairs to the tallest spire were coming along. The story of what happened all those weeks ago was still spreading like wildfire; how the Darkest Day was brought on by summoning an ancient Pokemon named Eternatus, and how the Gym Challenger Victor managed to beat and catch the beast, ending the Darkest Day, and then took home the title of Galar’s New Champion barely two weeks later.

You’d watched the Final Match from the safety of your studio, amazed at how fast the Rose Stadium was repaired. A part of you wished that they had just gone ahead and torn the garish outer walls down, and you’d snickered when you’d texted that to both Piers and Rosalyn and got two swift responses saying “oh same”.

You’d also frowned when you saw that both Leon and Victor still used Dynamax during their battle. After the events of the Darkest Day, you were shocked that the hazardous tactics weren’t banned from battling, even temporarily. You knew that Piers had always been against using Dynamax, and you fully agreed with him. It was risky, and it was dangerous. You were glad at least that the region’s professor was leading a team was already currently looking into the science behind it more, to determine if there was a safer method of containing all that energy.

It only took a few minutes to fly to the gates of Spikemuth, the shabby metal walls enclosing the town glowing in the orange light of the setting sun. You thanked the pilot and handed the Corviknight a Pecha berry, giving the massive bird a pat on the beak before you heard your name called.

You turned to see Marnie running out towards you. You were glad to see her, but your eyebrows twitched when she approached.

“Isn’t there usually a crowd of over-supportive mohawks following you around?” you asked the pigtailed girl as you gave her a hug.

Marnie snorted. “They can’t keep shadowin’ me forever,” she said as she pulled away, “Ya look great, by the way. Yer really gonna make Piers blow a fuse.”

You laughed, giving your black dress a twirl. Rosalyn had lent you her gladiator-style sandals and a cute black choker, and with her helping with your makeup and hair, you felt like an absolute knockout. Plus, you’d found your old favourite leather jacket shoved deep in the back of your wardrobe, left forgotten after years of heartbreak, and figured tonight would be the perfect night to introduce it to the world again.

“I sure hope so,” you said, laying your arm over Marnie’s shoulder, “Shall we?”

You were so thrilled when you’d officially met Marnie for the first time and she immediately took to you. You were nervous that Piers’ little sister would be critical of the person who was dating her brother, but she had taken one look at you and nodded.

“’s finally nice to meet the one Piers’s been singin’ about the last while,” she’d said.

“Singing about?” you remember frowning, “What do you mean?”

“One thing about Piers that people don’t usually know,” Marnie had said to you in quiet tones, so that her brother wouldn’t hear from where he was standing talking to Raihan a couple yards away, “is that he never, ever sings love songs. Ever. And one day, all of a sudden, he just… started to.”

You were stunned as Marnie continued, “He never said nothin’ about it, but I knew somethin’ had happened t’ him. Some _one_ had happened t’ him. But ne never said anythin’ about it, so I never asked. But I knew it must’ve been somethin’ – someone – really important t’ him for him to literally change his tune like that.”

Marie had made you promise to never tell Piers that the two of you knew this little secret about him, and the two of you had been close ever since. You loved the girl like she was your own sister.

The two of you entered the shadowy entrance of Spikemuth, Marnie leading the way through the narrow streets until you both stopped in front of an old, well-graffiti’d building. You could hear the muffled sounds of loud music coming from the foundation, and looked to the young girl standing beside you.

“I thought Piers performs at the Gym?” you asked her.

Marnie smirked. “He usually does, but sometimes he likes t’shake things up.”

She gave your arm a tug, leading you down the tight alley beside the building to a dinged-up metal door. Marnie knocked three times, and you heard the door unlock before Marnie tugged it open. You followed her inside, blinking in the change of light.

You had entered a narrow hallway, lined with a few beat-up looking boxes and metal clothing racks. A few doors were placed sporadically along the brick walls, and you clung close to Marnie as she rapped her knuckles against the worn wood of the closest door. The door opened with a creak, and a tall young man with purple fringe peered out.

“Hey, Zig,” Marnie greeted the man with a nod, “Where’s he hidin’ this time?”

The man – Zig – looked up at you and smiled. “Third door to the left,” he said, jerking his head in that direction.

“Thanks,” Marnie motioned for you to follow her, but you paused when you heard Zig pipe up from behind you.

“Jus’ don’t razz him up too much, we still gotta perform in 15!”

You laughed.

“I make no promises!” you said to him, shooting him a smile. He winked at you before disappearing behind the door once more.

You’ve met Piers’ bandmates once before at a show. They were a ragtag group, but once you got past their tough appearances, they were all very friendly people. And you were grateful that they all approved of you as well – Zig himself had approached you and thanked you for making Piers as happy as you did.

“We can all tell that he’s in a better place cuz of ya,” he’d said, clapping a hand to your shoulder, “So thanks.”

You almost walked into Marnie when she suddenly stopped in front of the door Zig had mentioned. She nudged you a step back and leaned forward, speaking in a low voice.

“I never actually told Piers you were gonna be here,” she murmured, “so yer kinda a surprise.”

You grinned. “I love it,” you whispered.

Marnie didn’t smile back, but her icy blue eyes were shining in a very familiar way. “Just wait fer my signal.”

She knocked on the door before throwing it open.

“Geezus, Marnie!” You heard Piers cry out, “Give a man some warnin’ next time!”

“Ah, yer eyeliner’s smudged enough,” Marnie said, entering the dressing room, “’sides, I got somethin’ t’ show ya.”

“Oh, yeah?” Piers must’ve returned to doing his makeup because his voice sounded a little distant, as if he was trying to focus, “What’s that?”

“Oh, ya know,”

Marnie’s singsong voice was enough of a signal. You inhaled before entering the door, knocking the wooden frame gently.

“Knock, knock,” you called out, your voice soft.

You saw Piers’ eyes travel to your form in the reflection of the mirror he was looking in, and you smiled when they went wide. He whirled around, his long hair swinging behind him as his face broke into a huge smile.

“(Y/N)!” he exclaimed, taking a few long strides to wrap his arms around you, “I thought yer weren’t able to make it!”

You giggled. “Is that what Marnie told you?”

Piers looked over to his younger sister, sitting on the back of the worn-out sofa in the center of the room with an innocent expression on her face.

“Yer welcome,” was all she said before she pushed herself off the sofa. She walked past, patting Piers on the arm as she went. “Have fun, you two.”

She paused before closing the door behind her.

“Well, not too much fun – Zig says yer still on in 10.”

You blushed as Marnie closed the door behind her. You heard Piers chuckle before looking up at him through your lashes.

“So…?” you asked him.

Piers released his hold on you, taking a step back to admire you.

“Ya look fuckin’ incredible,” he breathed, “Damn.”

You laughed, giving your dress another little twirl. “Like what you see or something?”

Piers grinned darkly as he reached out, grabbing you by the waist and pulling you flush against him.

“I sure as hell do.”

You hummed as he pressed his lips to yours, but gently laid your hand on his chest and gave him a slight shove.

“At least wait to ravage me after your show,” you said, smiling suggestively, “I don’t want to ruin your makeup.”

Piers clicked his tongue.

“Fine,” he said, releasing his hold on you, “but I expect t’ have you back here ready to rock before the last song is over.”

You laughed, brushing Piers’ long fringe out of his eye before pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“Depends on if you put on a good show tonight or not.”

Piers chuckled again before he took another look at you. You noticed him pause, and smiled when he reached out and gently took the material of your jacket collar between his finger and thumb.

“No way,” he breathed.

You give him a shy little smile. “Maybe.”

Memories of a time when you were trying not give in to your broken heart and the man you unknowingly loved had arrived at the perfect time to provide you with comfort and support came flooding back. He was so young back then, so cautious when he fiddled with the material of your jacket the same way he was now. You remembered how, even then, Piers had looked so tired compared to now, wearing heavy makeup to hide the shadowy bags under his eyes. He still wore the makeup, but you could tell in more recent days that the man just looked more refreshed, more relaxed.

So much has changed in the past years. As Piers’ fingers traveled from your collar to along your jaw, pulling you close to lovingly press his lips to yours, the both of you ignoring your earlier warning of smudged makeup as you embraced, you couldn’t help but think that all those changes had eventually been for the better.

“I love you,” you heard Piers mumble against your lips before kissing you again.

Your heart soared as you wrapped your arms around his shoulders, snaking your hand up Piers’ neck and tangling your fingers in his hair. After all the years of trials and heartbreak, of sadness and longing, you were finally in a place where you felt like you truly belonged.

“I love you, too,” you whispered once you pulled apart. Piers’ lips were stained with your lipstick, but all you could focus on was the unmistakable shine in his eyes.

That night, as you watched your boyfriend sing his heart out to an enthusiastic crowd, your heart seemed to swell at the sight. Piers performed with so much energy, with a fire you hadn’t seen in what’s felt like ages. And when his eyes would travel back to you, and a bright smile appeared on his face that was akin to the one you remembered seeing when you were sitting close to the stage watching him sing for the first time, you couldn’t help but smile knowing that Piers too, was in a place where he could finally truly be at his happiest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap!
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me during my annoying lack of internet! I'm gonna keep saying it, but every time one of you leaves a kudos or comments, I swear I flap my hands like a chicken, I get so excited. So thank you for reading <33
> 
> I don't think it's really relevant but if you want to drop in on me, my tumblr url is also bostghuster. I still can't do much there cuz of the no internet thing, but I mean, whats a shameless plug between friends.


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